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Frontispiece 


BLACK BEAUTY 



BLACK BEAUTY 


RETOLD IN WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE 

t\ 

By MRS. J. C. GORHAM 


FULLY ILLUSTRATED 


A. L. BURT COMPANY ,* oe ** 

.«* ^ ^ ^ PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK 




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UBKARY of 29NGHESS 
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Couyn^tu entry 

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CLASS 0 CL Wlc. Not 

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COPYRIGHT I905 

By a. Iv. BURT COMPANY 


BI^ACK BEAUTY 
By Mrs. J. C. Gorham 




BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER I. 


MY FIRST HOME. 


The first place that I can call to mind was a large field 
with a pond in it. Some trees stood near it, and grass and 
plants grew on its edge. 

When we looked through 
the gate we saw mas-ter’s 
house, which stood by the 
road-side ; at the north of 
the field was a grove of 
fir trees and at the south 
a small brook with a steep 
bank on each side. 

While I was young I 
lived on my moth-er’s 
milk, as I could not eat 
grass. In the day, I ran 
by her side, and lay down 
by her at night. When it was hot we used to stand by the 
pond in the shade of the trees, and when it was cold we 
had a nice warm shed by the grove. 





Wr 


2 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


As soon as I could eat grass she left me and went out 
to work in the day and came back when the sun went down. 

There were six young colts in the field with me, and I 
used to run with them and have great fun. We would all 
prance a-round and a-round the field as fast as we could go. 
Some-times we had rough play of it, for they would bite 
and kick as well as run. 

One day when there was a good deal of this kind of 
sport my moth-er called me to her and said : “ I wish you 

to give heed to what I say to you. The colts that live here 
are good colts, hut they are cart-horse colts, and of course 
they are not so well-bred and well-born as you are. Your 
sire had a great name in these parts, and your grand-sire 
won the cup two years at the rac*es. You have not seen 
me kick or bite. I hope you will grow up to be a good 
horse, and not learn bad ways ; do your work with a will, 
lift your feet up well when you trot, and do not kick or bite 
though you mean it for play.” 

I knew her to be a wise old horse, and that mas-ter 
thought a great deal of her, so I have kept her words in 
mind all my life, and tried to do as she bade me. 

Our mas-ter was a good, kind man. He gave us good 
food, a good place to sleep, and spoke to us with as kind 
words as he did to his own boys and girls. We were all 
fond of him, and when my moth-er saw him at the gate she 
would neigh with joy and trot up to him. He would pat 
her and say, “ Well, old Pet, how is your Dar-kie ? ” I was a 
dull black so he called me “ Dar-kie.” Then he would give 



Our master would pat my mother and say, 
“Well old pet, how is your Darkie?” Page 2. 

Black Beauty 







































. 















































































































• t 















































































































MY FIRST HOME. 


3 


me a piece of bread, which I was glad to get. All the colts 
would come to him, but I think he liked us best. He drove 
my moth-er to a light gig when he went to the town. 

There was a plow-boy, Dick, who now and then came 
to our field to pick fruit from the vines by the hedge. He 
would first eat as much of the fruit as he want-ed, then he 
would have what he called fun with the colts. He threw 
stones at them to make them run. We did not much mind 
him for we could trot off ; but some-times a stone would hit 
and hurt us. 

One day he was at this game and did not know that 
mas-ter was in the next field; but he was there and saw all 
that the boy did. He jumped the hedge in a snap, caught 
Dick by the arm, and gave him such a box on the ear as 
made him roar with pain and fright. We ran up to see 
what went on. 

“ Bad boy,” he said, “ bad boy to chase the colts. This 
is not the first time, but it shall be the last. There — take 
your pay and go home ; such a boy is not wanted on my 
farm.” So we saw Dick no more. 

Old Dan, the man who took care of the colts, was just 
as kind as our mas-ter, so we were well off. 


4 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE HUNT. 

In the spring, when I was not quite two years old, I saw 
my first hunt. There had been frost in the night and a 
light mist hung on the woods and fields. As we all grazed 
near the pond, we heard what we thought was the bark of 
dogs, a long way off. One of the hors-es raised his head, 
pricked his ears and said, “ There are the hounds,” and at 
once pranced off. We all went with him to a high part of 
our lot where we had a fine view of two or three fields that 
lay near the hedge. “ They have found a hare,” said my 
moth-er, “and if they come this way we shall seethe hunt.” 
And soon the dogs came with a mad rush down the field of 
young wheat next to ours. They did not bark, nor howl, 
but kept up a “ yo ! yo, o, o ! yo, yo, o, o ! ” each at the top of 
his voice. Then came some men on horse-back, a few of 
them in green coats, and all rode as fast as they could. 
j The old horse snorted and looked at them, and we young 
colts want-ed to run with them, but they soon passed to the 
fields next to the wheat. Here it seemed as if they had 
come to a stand ; the dogs left their noise, and ran here and 
there, each one with his nose to the ground. 


THE HUNT. 


5 


“ They have lost the scent,” said the old horse, “ the 
hare may get off.” 

“ What hare ? ” I said. 

“ Oh, I don’t know what hare. It may be one of our 
own hares out of the woods ; all hares they can find will do 
for dogs and men to chase.” 

Ere long the dogs once more set up their “ yo, yo, o, o ! ” 
Back they all came at full speed, and made straight for that 
part of the field where the high bank and hedge are close to 
the brook. 

“ Now we shall see the hare,” said my moth-er ; and 
just then a hare mad with fright rushed by, and made 
straight for the woods. On came the dogs ; they cleared the 
hedge at a bound, leaped the stream, and came with a dash 
down the field with the men close at their backs. The hare 
tried to get through the fence, but it was too late ; the dogs 
were on her with their wild cries. We heard one shriek 
and that was the end of the poor hare. 

By the brook, a sad sight met our eyes. Two fine 
hors-es were down, one was in the stream ; and one lay on 
the grass near by in great pain. One of the men got up 
from the brook with his fine green suit smeared with mud, 
while one lay quite still. 

“ The fall broke his neck,” said moth-er. 

“ Served him right too,” said one of the colts. 

“ Well, no,” she said, “ you must not say that. We hors- 
es don’t know why men are so fond of this sport, nor why 
they will risk so much just for a hare, or a fox, or a stag.” 


6 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


In the mean time some of the men had gone to the 
young man who lay so still, but mas-ter who had seen it all 
was the first to raise him. His head fell back and his arms 
hung down. There was no noise now as they took him up 
and bore him to mas-ter’s house. 

We heard that it was George Gor-don, the Squire’s son ; 
a fine, tall young man, the pride of all his friends. 

When Mr. Bond, the horse doc-tor, came to look at the 
black horse that lay on the grass, he shook his head. The 
horse broke his leg in the fall. Some one ran to our house 
and came back with a gun. There was a loud bang — then 
all was still; the black horse moved no more. 

In a few days we heard the church bell toll for a long 
time ; then we saw a strange black coach, drawn by four 
black liors-es. They took young Gor-don to the church-yard 
and put him in his grave. What they did with the black 
horse, I do not know ; but it was all for one small hare. 


HOW I WAS TAUGHT TO WORK. 


7 



HOW I WAS TAUGHT TO WORK. 

My coat had now grown fine and soft and was a bright 
black. I had one white foot and a white star on my head. 
Mas-ter would not sell me until I was four years old, for he 
said lads ought not to work like men and colts ought not 
to work like hors-es till they were quite grown. 

When I was four years old, Squire Gor-don came to look 
at me. He looked at my eyes, my mouth and my legs ; he 
felt them all down and then I had to walk and trot for him. 
He seemed pleased and said, “ When he has been trained 
I think he will suit me.” Mas-ter said he would break me 
in, as he should not like me to be scared or hurt by some 
one who would be rough with me. 

You may not know what it means to break in a young 
colt so I will tell you. It means to teach a horse to wear a 
hard bit in his mouth, to let a man or boy ride on his hack 
and to go just the way they wish. Then, too, he must learn 
to wear a col-lar and har-ness and to stand still while they 
are put on. He must be made fast in front of a cart or 
chaise, so that he can not walk, but he must drag it with 
him. He must not start at what he sees or speak to a horse 
he meets. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


Those who have not had a bit in their mouths can not 
think how bad it feels ; a great piece of cold hard steel in 
one’s mouth, on top of one’s tongue, with the ends out at 
the sides of your mouth and held fast there by straps on 
your head and throat, round your nose and chin ; so that 
no way in the world can you get rid of the hard thing ; I 
tell you it is bad, bad, at least I thought so. 

My kind mas-ter taught me all these things, and more 
too. I do wish that all men who train colts could know, as 
he did, that there is no need for whip or harsh words ; but, 
it is best to be as kind with them as one would be with his 
own child. 

I now stood in a stall most of the time and my coat 
was brushed each day till it shown like a black-bird’s wing. 


BIRTWICK HALL. 


9 



CHAPTER IY. 


BIRT-WICK HALL. 

In May a man came from Squire Gor-don’s and took me 
to the hall. My mas-ter said, “ Good-by, Darkie ; be a good 
horse and do your best.” I could not say “ Good-by,” so I 
put my nose in his hand ; he gave me a kind pat, and I 
left my first home. 

Squire Gor-don’s park skirted the town of Birt-wick. 
We went in the park through a large gate, at which stood 
the first lodge, then trot-ted on a smooth road with clumps 
of tall old trees on each side till we came to a small gate, 
that brought us to the house and grounds. 

I was placed in a large square stall, with a low rack 
for hay and a low trough for corn. It was called a loose 
box, as the horse was not tied up, but left loose to do as he 
liked, which is a great thing. It was as fine a stall as one 
need wish for, and the sides were not so high but that I 
could see all that went on. 

In the stall next to mine, stood a small fat gray po-ny, 
with a thick mane and tail, a fine head and a pert nose. 

I put my head up to the top of the box and said, “ How 
do you do ? What is your name ? ” 


10 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“ My name is Mer-ry-legs,” he said. “ I take the young 
folks to ride on my back and they think a great deal of me. 
Are you to live in that box ? ” 

I said, “ Yes.” 

“ Well, then,” he said, “ I hope you are a good horse ; I 
do not like one next door who bites.” 

Just then a horse’s head looked from the stall next to 
the gray po-ny’s. It was a tall brown mare with a long 
arched neck. 

“ So it is you,” she said, “ who have turned me out of 
my box ; it is a strange thing for a colt like you to come 
and turn a fine mare like me out of her own home.” 

“ You are all wrong,” I said, “ I have put no one out ; 
the man who brought me put me here, and I had naught 
to do with it. I should think you might see that I am no 
colt, but a full-grown horse. It is my wish to live at 
peace.” 

“ Well,” she said, “ we shall see. I do not want to have 
words with a young thing like you.” I said no more. 

When the mare went out Mer-ry-legs told me what she 
knew of her. 

“ The thing is this,” she said, “ Gin-ger will bite and 
snap ; that is why they call her Gin-ger. One day when 
she was in the loose box, she bit James on the arm, and so 
the young folks who used to bring me nice things to eat 
dared not come while Gin-ger stood there, and I miss them 
so much. I hope they will come now if you do not bite or 
snap.” 


BIRTWICK HALL. 


11 


I told him I did not bite and could not see why Gin-ger 
should like to do a thing so rude. 

“ Well, she says no one has been kind to her, and if all 
she tells be true she must have been ill used all her life. 
John and James do all they can to please her and I do think 
she might be good here, where all are so kind. It is all her 
own fault that she did not stay in that box/ 


12 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



CHAPTER Y. 


A FAIR START. 

The head groom was John, who lived with his wife 
and child in the house near the stalls. 

The next day he took me out and gave me such a fine 
rub down that my coat shone soft and bright. Just as he 
was through the Squire came in to look at me. “ John,” 
he said, “ I meant to have tried the new horse to-day but 
shall not have time. You may as well take him out ; go by 
the woods and back by the mill and the brook ; that will 
show you his pa-ces. 

“I will, sir,” said John. He rode me first in a walk, 
then a trot, and when we came to the smooth road, he gave 
me a light touch with the whip and we had a fine run. 

“ Ho ! ho ! my boy,” he said as he pulled me up, “ you 
would like to run with the hounds, I see.” 

As we came back through the park we met the Squire 
and Mrs. Gor-don. They stopped and John jumped off. 

“Well, John, how does he go?” 

“ First-rate, sir. He is as fleet as a deer, and though 
he has a great deal of life, yet a light touch of the rein will 
guide him,” 



“Well, my dear, ” said Mrs. Gordon, “how do you 
like him?” “He is just what John said, kind and 
good, ” replied Mr. Gordon. Page 13. Black Beauty 







A FAIR START. 


13 


“ That’s well,” said the Squire, “ I will try him in a day 
or two.” 

So the next day I was brought out for him. I now 
thought of the wise words of my moth-er and my good old 
mas-ter and tried to do just what I thought would please 
him. When we came home Mrs. Gor-don was at the hall 
door as he rode up. 

“ Well, my dear,” she said, “ How do you like him ?” 

“He is just what John said, as kind and good a steed 
as one need wish to mount. What shall we call him ? ” 

“ He has such a sweet face and such a fine eye — what 
do you say to Black Beau-ty as his name ? ” she said. 

“ Black Beau ty — why, yes, I think that is a good name. 
If you like it that shall be his name.” And so it was. 

“ John was proud of me and I grew quite fond of him 
and of James, the boy who helped in the yard. 

“ I soon came to feel at home in my new place. All who 
had to do with me were kind, and I had a light dry stall 
and the best of food. 

“What more could I want ? Why, to be free. For three 
years and a half of my life I had had all the play I could 
wish for ; but now week by week, month by month, and no 
doubt year by year, I must stand in a stall day and night, 
and when I do go out have straps here and straps there 
and a bit in my mouth and blinds on my eyes. Then, 
too, I must be just as staid as an old horse that has worked 
a score of years. I do not wish to find fault, for I know 
these things must be. I mean to say for a young horse 


14 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


full of strength and life, who has been used to a large field 
where he can fling up his head, toss up his tail and prance 
round and round at full speed, then come back with a 
snort to his friends — I say it is hard not to have a bit more 
chance to do as you like. How would you boys and girls 
like to sit all day in school with books in your hands, then 
at night be led off to bed with no time to play at all ? 

“ I ought to say that some-times we were free for a few 
hours. The coach did not go out on Sun-days, as the 
church was not far off. On such days we were put in the 
fields where the fruit trees grew. Oh ! it was a rare treat 
to be turned out ; the grass was so cool and soft to our feet, 
the air so sweet, and to do just as we pleased was fine — to 
run, to lie down and roll on our backs, or to eat the fresh 
grass. Then it was a good time to talk as we all stood in 
the shade of the large nut trees. 


GINGER. 


15 



CHAPTER VI. 


GIN-GER. 

One day when Gin-ger and I stood in the shade, we 
had a long talk. She want-ed to know how I was brought 
up and trained, and I told her. 

“Well,” said she, “if I had been brought up as you 
were, I might have been as good as you, but now there is 
no hope that I shall.” 

“ Why not ?” I said. 

“ As soon as I could eat grass I was put with a lot of 
young colts in a large field, but none of them cared for me, 
and I cared for none of them. There was no kind mas-ter 
to talk to me and bring me nice things to eat, and I heard 
not one kind word in all my life. 

“ It was still worse when they came to break me in to 
work. One man caught me by the fore-lock, one took hold 
of my nose and held it so tight I could not breathe ; then 
one took my jaw in his hard hand and forced the bit in my 
mouth. They did not give me a chance to know what they 
want-ed me to do — it was all force. I was full of life, and to 
be shut up in a stall day by day was more than I could bear, 
and I fret-ted and pined to get loose. The fact that there 
was no one to coax and teach me in a kind way, made it worse. 


16 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“ The son of the old mas-ter was a strong, bold man, 
who boast-ed that no horse could throw him. ' He had a 
hard voice, a hard eye, a hard hand ; and I felt from the 
first that what he want-ed was to wear all the life out of 
me, 1 ’ and Gin-ger stamped her feet, as if the thought of 
him made her mad. Then she went on : 

“ If I did not do just as he wished he would get put 
out and make me run round with a long rein un-til he had 
tired me out. One day he had worked me hard in all ways 
that he could, and when I lay down I was worn out and 
mad ; it all seemed so hard. The next day he came and ran 
me round for a long time. I had not had an hour’s rest 
when he came for me with a new kind of bit. As soon as 
he mount-ed he chucked me hard with the rein. The new 
bit gave me such a pain that I reared up, which made him 
mad. He cut me with his whip ; I kicked and plunged, 
and we had a hard fight for it. For a long time he kept 
his seat on my back, but at last I heard him fall on the 
turf. I ran off to the end of the field. From there I saw 
him rise and go to the stall. I stood all day in the shade of 
the oak, but no one came to catch me, though I was in sad 
need of food and drink. 

“ At last, just as the sun went down I saw the old mas- 
ter come out with a sieve in his hand. He was a fine old 
man with white hair, but his voice was what I should 
know him by. It was not high, nor yet low, but full and 
clear and kind. 

“ ‘ Come on, lass ; come on, come on,’ he said, as he 



He called for a pail of warm suds, and sponged 
my sides, which did me good. Page 17. 

Black Beauty 





GINGER. 


17 


shook the sieve with the oats in it. I stood still and let 
him come up ; he held the oats to me while I ate them, for 
my fear was gone when I heard his kind voice. 

“ When he saw the clots of blood on my side where the 
spur had cut through the skin, he was vexed. 

“ 4 Poor lass, it was a bad thing, a bad thing,’ lie said, 
then took the rein and led me to the stall. 

“ Just at the door stood his son. I laid my ears back and 
tried to bite him. 4 Stand back,’ said the mas-ter, 4 you 
have done a bad day’s work for this mare.’ 

“ He called for a pail of warm suds and sponged my 
sides, which did me good. When he saw how my mouth 
was cut by the bit, he told the groom to bring a warm bran 
mash, with meal in it. How nice that mash was, and so 
soft to my sore mouth ! 

When my mouth was healed, Job the groom took me 
in hand. He was firm, but not rough, and I soon learned 
to do as he wished. 

“ When I was well trained I was sold and sent up to 
Lon-don. Here they drove me with a check rein. I like to 
toss my head and hold it high, but think how it would feel 
if you tossed your head as high as you could and then must 
hold it there for hours at a time and could not move it at 
all, and with such a pain in your neck that you did not 
know how to bear it. Then to have two bits in place of 
one — and mine was a sharp one that cut my tongue and jaw 
till the froth that flew from my lips was red with blood. 

“ If the groom had been kind, I would have tried to bear 


18 


BLACK BEATJTY. 


it, but I got naught but harsh words and hard blows, so I 
grew more and more cross. I could not help but bite and 
kick when they came to hitch me to the coach. 

“One day when they had just put us to the coach with 
my head drawn up as high as it could be, I set in to plunge 
and kick with all my might and soon broke a lot of bands 
and straps and got clear of it all. That was an end of that 
place. 

“ I was next sold to a man out of town where I fared still 
worse. 

“ The end of it all was that I came to this place ; but by 
that time I had made up my mind that all men were rough 
and would hurt me when they came near me. 

“ I wish I could feel as you do, but I can not after all I 
have been through.” 

“ Well,” I said, “ it would be a shame if you were to bite 
John or James.” 

“ I don’t mean to,” she said, “ while they are so good to 
me. I did bite James once, but soon he came back with his 
arm bound up and gave me a good feed and a pat. Since 
then he has not seen me snap.” 

Gin-ger’s tale made me sad, but as I was young and did 
not know much of men’s ways, I thought she had made the 
worst of it. 

• As the weeks went by, there were no more snaps or 
kicks from her, and we were all glad to see that she had 
left off her bad tricks. 


MERRYLEGS. 


19 



CHAPTER VII. 


MER-RY-LEGS. 

There were some boys and girls near the same age as 
ours, who some-times came to our house. When they came 
there was no rest for Mer-ry-legs. They would ride him by 
turns through the field of fruit trees, and in the house lot ; 
and this they did for hours at a time. 

One day he had been out with them a long time and as 
James brought him in he said : 

“ There, you rogue, mind what you do, or we shall have 
rough times here.” 

“ What have you done, Mer-ry-legs ? ” I asked. 

“Oh,” said he, with a toss of his head, “I have taught 
those young folks a thing or two. They didn’t know when 
they ought to stop, nor when I ought to stop ; so I just 
threw them off my back on the ground.” 

“ What ! ” said I. “ You threw our young folks off? Did 
you throw one of our girls ? ” 

“ Of course not , I would not do such a thing for the best 
oats that are brought to our stall. Why I have as much 
care for one of our girls as the mas-ter could have; and as 
for the tots, it is I who teach them to ride. When they 


20 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


seem not to feel at ease or as if they would fall off, I go as 
smooth as an old cat when she sees a bird she wants to 
catch; then when they are all right I trot up, you see, just 
to use them to it. So don’t you preach to me ; I am their 
best friend. 

“ It is not our girls, it is the boys. Boys,” said he, with a 
shake of his head, “ are not the same. Some one must 
break them in just as they broke us in when we were colts, 
and teach them what’s what. 

“ I had been on the go with the girls for two hours, and 
then the boys thought it was their turn and so it was. 
They rode me by turns up and down the field for a good 
hour. They had each cut a great stick for a whip and 
laid it on quite hard. I took it all in good part until at 
last I thought it time to stop, so I came to a halt two or 
three times by way of a hint. But it was no use. Boys, 
you see, think a horse can go on as long as they please and 
not tire, so as the one on my back could not take a hint, I 
just rose up on my hind legs and let him slip off — that was 
all. When he got on my back again I did the same thing. 
I had to do this three or four times, till at last they knew 
what I meant. 

“ They are not bad boys — I like them ; hut I had to 
teach them that I could feel as well as they. 

u When they brought me to James and told him what I 
had done, I think he was vexed to see what big sticks they 
had for whips,” 

“ If I had been you,” said Grin-ger, “ I would have let 














. 































- 

. 


. 

* 




















. 












MERRYLEGS. 


21 


those boys have a good kick. That would have been the 
way to treat them/’ 

“ No doubt you would,” said Mer-ry-legs, “ but I am not 
such a fool as to vex our kind mas-ter, or make James feel 
shame for me. Then, too, those young folks are placed in 
my charge when they ride. Do you think just for the sake 
of two rough boys I am such a brute as not to call to mind 
how kind they have been to me for five years and all the 
trust they have placed in me ? No, no, I could not do that. 
I tell you a good place makes a good horse. I love our 
folks, I do,” said Mer-ry-legs as he gave a low ho, ho, ho, 
through his nose as he used to do when he heard James at 
the door with his oats. 

u Then,” he went on, “ if I were to kick, where should I 
be ? why sold off in no time with a bad name, and might be 
# worked to death at some place where no one cared for me, 
or have to drag a cart with three or four big men out for a 
spree as I have seen in a place where I once lived. No,” 
said he with a shake of his head, “ I hope I shall not come 
to that.” 


22 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



CHAPTER VIII. 


THE STORM. 

One day in the fall mas-ter had to go on a long drive 
which would take the whole day. I was put to the dog- 
cart and John went with us. I liked to go in the dog-cart, 
it was so light, and the high wheels ran so smooth. There 
had been a great deal of rain and now the wind blew the 
leaves in heaps by the road and near the fence. 

We went on all right and soon came to the toll-bar and 

the bridge which spanned the stream. The banks of the 

stream were steep and the bridge was low and flat, so that 

when the stream was full from much rain it would touch 
* 

the floor of the bridge, but as there were stout rails on each 
side we did not mind it. 

The man at the toll-gate said that the stream was high 
and he feared it would be worse by night. 

In one low place in the road the flood was half way up 
to my knees, but the earth was firm and John let me take 
my time, so it was not bad. 

When we reached the town I had a good bait, but as 
mas-ter had much to see to, it was late when we start-ed for 
home. 


THE STORM. 


23 


The wind was still high and I heard mas-ter say he had 
not in all his life been out in such a storm. I thought so 
too as we went by the skirts of a wood where the great 
trees swayed like twigs, and the roar of the wind filled me 
with dread. 

“ I wish we were well out of this wood,” said mas-ter. 

“ Yes, sir,” said John, “ I should not like for one of those 
great trees to come down on us.” 

The words were just out of his mouth when there was 
a groan and a crack — then with a great crash down 
through the tall trees, came an oak — torn up by the roots 
— and fell in the road in front of us. 

I can not say I was not in a fright, for I was. I stood 
still and trem-bled ; of course I did not turn round nor run 
off; I was not brought up to do that way. John jumped 
out and ran at once to my head. 

“ That was a close touch,” said mas-ter. “ What’s to be 
done now ? ” 

“ AYell, sir, we can’t get round that tree. We must go 
back to the four cross- ways and that will give us a good six 
miles to get back to the bridge. It will make us late, but 
the horse is fresh.” 

So back we went, but by the time we had reached the 
bridge the sun had set. We could see that the stream was 
on top of the planks, but as that was some-times the case 
when there was much rain, we did not stop. We went on 
at a good pace but as soon as my feet touched the bridge, I 
knew there was some-thing wrong. I made a dead stop, 


24 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


for I dare not go on. “ Go on, Beau-ty,” said mas-ter and 
gave me a slight touch with the whip, but I dare not stir ; 
he gave me a sharp cut ; I jumped but did not go on. 

“ There is some-thing wrong, sir,” said John, and he 
sprang out and tried to lead me on. u Come on, Beau-ty ; 
what’s wrong ? ” he said. 

Of course I could not tell him, but I knew full well that 
the bridge was not safe. 

Just then the man at the toll-gate ran out of the house 
with a torch which he tossed here and there like a mad- 
man. 

“ Hoy, hoy, hoy ! hal-loo ! stop ! v he cried. 

“ What’s wrong?” shout-ed John. 

“ Part of the bridge is gone ; if you come on you’ll 
be in the stream.” 

“ Thank God,” said my mas-ter. 

“ You Beau-ty,” said John, and turned me a-round to 
the road on the right hand side of the stream. 

It was now quite dark and so still, that I could hear 
mas-ter and John as they talked in a low voice. I did not 
hear all they said, but I found that they thought if I 
had gone on as they wished, the bridge would not have 
borne our weight, and horse, and cart, mas-ter and man 
would have gone down with it. As there was no light 
and no help at hand, no doubt, we should have all been 
drowned. 

Mas-ter said God gave men minds by which they could 
find out things — but he gave to the horse and the dog a 


THE STORM. 


25 


sense more prompt in its way and by which they had more 
than once saved the lives of men. 

At last we came to the park gate and found James on 
the look-out for us. He said the mis-tress had been in a 
sad way since dark, and had sent some one out to the 
bridge to see if he could hear from us. 

We saw a light in the hall door, and as we came up 
mis-tress ran out. 

“ Are you safe, my dear ? ” she asked. “ Oh, I have 
thought of all sorts of things that might have kept you so 
late. Have you had no hurt ? ” 

“No, my dear, but if your Black Beau-ty had not been 
more wise than we were, we should have all, no doubt, been 
drowned at the low bridge.” 

They went in the house and John took me to my stall. 
Oh, what a good bran mash he gave me that night, and 
some crushed beans with my oats, and such a thick bed of 
straw. I was glad of it, for I was tired. 


26 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



CHAPTER IX. 


THE BOY AND HIS PO-NY. 

One day as John and I came home from town, we saw 
not far off a hoy on his po-ny. As we came near we 
saw him try to make the horse leap a gate much too high 
for him. The nag would not take the leap. The boy cut 
him with his whip, but still he turned off. At last the boy 
got down and thrashed and knocked him on the head, then 
got up and tried him once more. Still he would not make 
the leap. 

Just as we came up to them the po-ny put down 
his head, threw up his heels and landed the boy in a thick 
hedge, then set off for home. 

John laughed out loud and said, “ Served him right.” 

“ Oh, oh, oh ! ” cried the boy as he tried to get free of the 
thorns in the hedge. “ I say, come and help me out.” 

“ Thank you,” said John, “ I think you are in the right 
place, and may be a scratch or two will teach you not to 
try to make a nag leap a gate too much too high for him.” 
With that John rode on and left him. 

“ Well, Beau-ty, we’ll just go home by Mr. Bush’s and 


THE BOY AN D HIS PONY. 


27 


then if he wants to know where his boy is we can tell him 
the truth, you see.” 

So we turned to the right and were soon in sight of the 
house. 

Mr. Bush was out in the road, while his wife stood at 
the gate. 

“ Have you seen my hoy ? ” the man asked as we came 
up. “ He went out an hour since on my black nag. The 
horse has come back hut the boy is not with him.” 

“ Well, sir, I saw your son whip and beat that nag in a 
way that was a shame, and all to make him leap a gate 
that was too high. 

“ The horse did well, sir, and showed no vice, but at last 
he threw up his heels and tipped the young man in the 
thorn hedge. I love a horse, sir, and it riles me to see them 
treated wrong. It is a bad plan to vex a horse till he must 
use his heels. ” 

Then the wife set up a cry : 

“ Oh, my poor Bill, I must go and meet him ; he must 
be hurt.” 

“ You had best go in the house, wife,” said Mr. Bush. 
u Bill needs to be taught how to treat a horse, and I must 
see that he learns it now. Thank you, John. Good day.” 

So we went on, but John chuck-led all the way home. 


- 28 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



l 

CHAPTER X. 


JAMES. 

One cold day late in the year as John led me hack to 
my box and strapped on my cloth, while James stood by 
with some oats, the mas-ter came to where we were. 

John tipped his hat and wait-ed to hear what he would 

say. 

“ I want to know,” he said, “ what fault you find with 
James?” 

“ Fault, sir? None, none, sir.” 

“ Do you find he slights his work when your back is 
turned ? ” 

“ No, sir. I can trust his word, and I can trust his 
work.” 

All this time James stood still at the door. 

“ James, my lad,” said the mas-ter, “ set down the oats 
and come here. I am glad to find that John thinks of you 
just as I do. A friend of mine wants me to find him a 
young groom whom he can trust to do his work well. 
He is a good mas-ter, and if you can get the place it will 


JAMES. 


29 


be a fine start for you. I don’t want to part with you, 
and if you left us I know John would lose his right hand 
man.” 

“ That I should, sir ; but I would not stand in his light 
for the world.” 

“ Well, James, think of it, talk of it with your moth-er, 
and let me know what you wish.” 

In a few days we knew James would leave us in a . 
month or six weeks. 

The next week mas-ter and mis-tress went to see some 
friends, who lived more than a day’s ride from our house, 
and James drove them. 

There were some long steep hills, but he drove with 
such care we were not at all tired. He put the brake on as 
we went down hill and then at the right place took it off. 
He kept our feet on the smooth part of the road, and if the 
hill was long he let us stop to breathe. All these things 
help a horse, and the more so if he gets kind words with 
them. 

As the sun went down we reached the town where we 
were to spend the night. We went to the best Inn in the 
place, where two bright, quick men came to take us out. 
James stood by while we were rubbed and cleaned. Then 
they brought us our corn and left the yard. 

Late at night the groom brought in a horse, and while 
he rubbed him off, a young man with a pipe in his mouth 
lounged in to have a chat. 

“ I say, Dick,” said the groom, “ run up the steps there 


ao 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


to the loft and put down some hay for this horse, will you ? 
But first lay down your pipe.” 

“ All right,” said Dick. Soon I heard him step on the 
floor in the loft and throw down the hay. James came 
in to look at us the last thing ; then the door was locked. 


THE FIRE. 


81 



CHAPTER XI. 


THE FIRE. 

I can not say how long I had slept, nor what time in 
the night it was, but I woke up ill at ease though I didn’t 
know why. I got up. It was so dark I could not see, but 
the stall seemed full of smoke, and I found it hard to 
breathe. I heard a soft sort of noise like the rush of wind, 
but there was a crack and snap in it, which filled me with 
fear. 

At last I heard foot-steps, and the young groom, who 
had put up the last horse, burst in the room with a lamp 
and tried to lead us out, but he made such haste and was 
in such a fright that he made our fear still worse. 

The first horse would not move ; he tried the next and 
the next, but they would not stir. He then tried to drag 
me out by force ; of course that was no use. When he had 
tried us all by turns he left us. 

Then I heard a cry of “ Fire ” on the out-side. Soon 
the old groom, cool and calm, came in and took out one 
horse, but by this time the roar of the flames as they played 
around the trap door wtis like a fierce storm. 


82 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


Next I heard the kind voice of James: “Come, my 
pets, it is time to be off, so wake up and come on.” 

As I stood near the door he came to me first and gave 
me a pat. 

“ Come, Bean-ty, on with your bri-dle, my boy, we’ll 
soon be out of this close place.” It was on in no time. 
Then he took the scarf from his neck and tied it on my eyes 
and led me out. 

Safe in the yard he took the scarf off my eyes and 
and shouted : “ Here, some of you, take this horse while I 
go back for the next one.” 

A tall broad man took my reins while James darted 
back. I set up a shrill neigh as I saw him go. Gin-ger told 
me next day if she had not heard me neigh in the yard, she 
would not have dared to come out. 

There was a great deal of noise as the men ran here 
and there, and shout-ed all sorts of things, but I kept my 
eye on the door where James had gone in. The smoke 
poured through it black and thick with now and then a 
flash of red light. 

Through all the stir and din, I heard a loud, clear voice, 
which I knew was mas-ter’s : 

“ James ! James ! Are you there ? ” 

No word came back to him, but I heard a loud crash, 
like the fall of a great weight. Soon I gave a glad neigh, 
for I saw James and Gin-ger come through the smoke. 

“ My brave lad,” said mas-ter, as he laid his hand on 
James’ head, “ are you hurt ? ” 


THE FIRE. 


33 


James shook his head for he could not yet speak. 

“ Ay/’ said the big man who held me; “he is a brave 
lad ; and that is the truth, sir.” 

“ Now,” said mas-ter, “ when you can get your breath, 
James, we will get out of this place as fast as we can.” 

He then led the vray to a large Inn, where he left us 
for the night with James and the groom. 

The next day mas-ter came to see how we were, and to 
speak to James. I did not hear much, but could see that 
James looked pleased, and I thought the mas-ter was proud 
of him. 

At first no one could guess how the fire had been 
caused, but at last a man said he saw Dick go in the stalls 
with a pipe in his mouth, but when he came out he had 
none. Dick said he did not have the pipe with him, but no 
one thought he spoke the truth. 

I thought of Johns rule to let no one take a pipe in the 
stalls ; which should be the rule with all grooms. 

That same day we made the rest of our trip. There 
was a kind groom who cleaned and fed us, and who seemed 
to think a good deal of James when he heard about the fire. 

“ There is one thing quite clear, young man,” he said, 
“ your hors-es know who to trust. It is a hard thing to get 
hors-es out of a stall when there is a fire. I don’t know why 
they won’t come out, but they won’t — not one in a score.” 

In two or three days we went home, and were glad to 
be in our own stalls once more ; and John was quite glad 
to see us. 


34 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


While they rubbed us down, I heard James ask : 
“ Who is to take my place here when I leave ? ” 

“ Joe Green, at the lodge,” said John. 

“ Joe Green ? Why he’s a mere child.” 

“Yes, he is small, but he is quick and has a kind 
heart, and the mas-ter wants to give him a chance, so I said 
I would try him for six weeks.” 

“ Six weeks?” said James, “why it will take him six 
months to learn to be of much use. It will make you a 
deal of work, John.” 

“ Well,” said John with a laugh, “ work and I are good 
friends ; it has not hurt me yet.” 

“You are a good man,” said James, “I wish I may 
grow to be like you.” 

At last the day came when James had to leave us, and 
he was quite sad when he came to bid us good-by. 

“ You see,” he said to John, “ I leave here all that I 
love most, and if it were not that I shall get more pay and 
do more for my moth-er, I don’t think I should have made 
up my mind to go. It is a hard pinch, John.” 

“ Ay, James, lad, so it is. But I should not think 
much of you if you could leave your home for the first time 
and not feel it. Cheer up, my boy; you’ll make friends 
there and get on well, then your old friends here will be 
proud of you.” 

So John cheered him up, but we were all grieved to 
lose him. As for Mer-ry-legs, he pined for days and quite 
lost his taste for food. 


A RIDE IN THE NIGHT. 


35 



CHAPTEB XII. 


A RIDE IN THE NIGHT. 

One night while we all lay in our stalls, I heard our 
bell ring quite loud ; then I heard John run up to the hall. 
He was back in no time, and as he rushed in called out, 
“ Wake up, Beau-ty. You must do your best now,” and ere 
I could think he had me in trim for a ride. He ran round 
for his coat, then took me at a quick trot up to the hall door, 
where the Squire stood with a lamp in his hand. 

“ Now, John,” said he, “ ride for your life — that is, your 
mis-tress’ life ; there is no time to lose. Give this note to 
Dr. White ; let your horse rest at the inn and be back as 
soon as you can.” 

John said, “ Yes, sir,” leaped on my back and off we 
went. I need-ed no whip nor spur. For two miles I ran as 
fast as I could lay my feet to the ground. The air was full 
of frost, the moon was bright ; it was all fine. 

We went through a small town, then through a dark 
wood, then up and down hill till at the end of an eight 
miles’ run we came to the town where we were to stop. 
The church clock struck three as we drew up at Dr. White’s 
door. John rang the bell, then knocked at the door as loud 


36 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


as he could. At last Dr. White put his head out and said, 
“ What do you want ? ” 

“ Mrs. Gor-don is quite ill, sir. Mas-ter wants you to go 
at once ; he thinks she will die if you do not get there. 
Here is a note.” 

“Wait,” he said, “ I will come,” and was soon at the 
door. 

“ The worst of it is,” he said, “ that my horse has been 
out all day and is quite done up. My son has my fresh 
horse. What is to be done ? Can I have your horse ? ” 

“ He has come at full speed most of the way and I was 
to give him a rest here, but I guess it will be all right with 
my mas-ter, if you think fit, sir.” 

“Well, then, I’ll ride him and soon be off.” 

John stood by me and stroked my neck. Dr. White 
came out with his whip. 

“You need not take that, sir,” said John. “Black 
Beau-ty will go till he drops. Take care of him, sir, if you 
can. I should not like harm to come to him.” 

“ No, no, John, I hope not.” 

We set out and I did my best. When we came to the 
hill he drew me up. “ Now, my good lad,” he said, “ take 
some breath.” I was glad he did, for that short time to 
breathe, helped me on, and soon we were in the park. Joe 
was at the lodge gate ; and mas-ter was at the hall door as 
he had heard us as we came through the gate. He spoke 
not a word ; Dr. White went with him, and Joe took charge 
of me. 


A RIDE IN THE NIGHT. 


37 


I was glad to get home ; my legs shook and my breath 
came fast. My hair was all wet and steamed, as Joe used 
to say, “ like a pot on the fire.” 

Poor Joe, he was young and as yet did not know much. 
He rubbed my legs and chest, but did not put on my warm 
cloth, he thought I was so hot I would not like it. He gave 
me my food and a pail-ful of wa-ter. It was cold and so 
good that I drank it all. 

Soon I found that my legs ached, and my chest ached, 
and I felt sore all through. Oh, how I wished for my warm 
thick cloth as I stood and shook with the cold ! I wished 
for John, but he had eight miles to walk, so I lay down on 
my straw and tried to go to sleep. 

At last I heard John at the door. I gave a low moan, 
for I was in great pain. He came to my side and though I 
could not tell him how I felt, yet he seemed to know it all. 
He threw two or three warm cloths on me, and ran to the 
house and soon came back with some warm broth which I 
drank and soon went to sleep. 

John was much put out. I heard him say, “ Dull boy. 
Dull boy. No cloth put on, and I dare say the drink was 
cold too ; boys are no good ; ” but Joe was a good boy for 
all that, and I am sure, did the best he knew. 


38 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

JOHN’S TALK. 


I was now quite ill ; my lungs were so sore it gave me 
great pain to breathe. John nursed me night and day. He 
would get up two or three times in the night and come to 
see me. 

My mas-ter too came each day. 

“ My poor Beau-ty,” he said one day, “ my good horse. 
You saved your mis-tress’ life, Beau-ty ; yes, you saved her 
life.” 

I was glad to hear that, for it seems Dr. White had said, 
if he had not come when he did, it would have been too late. 
John told my mas-ter he had never seen a horse go so fast 
in his life. It seemed as if he knew the mis-tress was at 
death’s door. 

Of course I did ; at least I knew as much as this — that 
John and I must go at the top of our speed, and that it was 
for the sake of the mis-tress. 

I do not know how long I was ill. Mr Band, the horse 
doc-tor came to see me each day. One day he bled me ; 
John held the pail for the blood. It made me so faint I 
thought I should die, 


JOHN’S TALK. 


39 


That night John had to give me a draught and Tom 
Green came in to help him. When I had drunk the bad 
stuff and John had done what he could to ease my pain, he 
said he would stay half an hour to see how I got on. So 
they both took a seat near by and I heard Tom Green say 
in a low voice : 

“ I wish, John, you’d say a bit of a kind word to Joe. 
The boy is so cut up he can’t eat his meals and he can’t 
smile. He says it is all his fault, though he is sure he did 
the best he knew. It goes to my heart to hear him. I 
think you might give him just a word; Joe is not a bad 
boy.” 

u I know he meant no harm ; and I know he is not a 
bad boy. But you see, that horse is the pride of my heart, 
and to think that his life may be cut short this way, it is 
more than I can bear. But if you think I am hard on the 
boy, I will try to give him a good word — that is, I mean if 
Beau-ty gets well.” 

“ Thank you, John. I knew you did not wish to be 
hard. I am glad you see he meant no harm, but did the 
best he knew.” 

John’s voice went quite through my head as he said : 
“ How can you talk thus ? I tell you not to know what’s 
right is one of the worst things in the world. If a man can 
say ‘ Oh, I did not know ; I did not mean to do harm,’ he 
thinks it is all right. I guess that nurse you told me of 
last week, did not mean to kill the child when she gave it 
the wrong dose, but she did kill it and was tried for her life,” 


40 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“ And served her right, too,” said Tom. “ No one 
should try to nurse a babe and not know what is good and 
what is bad for it.” 

“ Bill Stark,” John went on, “ when he dressed up like 
a ghost and chased Sam in the moon-light, did not mean to 
give him such a fright that he has had no mind since. But 
he did — and now that bright lad, that might have done so 
well, has no sense at all.” 

I heard no more, for the dose did well and sent me to 
sleep. The next day my pains were gone and I breathed 
with more ease, but I oft thought of John’s words when I 
came to know more of the world. 



The two horses strained with all their might to 
drag the cart out, but they could not 'move it. 
Page 41. Black Beauty 

































































JOE GREEN. 


41 



CHAPTER XIV. 


JOE GREEN. 

Joe Green learned fast and John came to trust him a 
great deal, but as he was small of his age it was rare that 
he rode Gin-ger or me; but one day when John was out 
with the roan mare and the mas-ter wanted to send a note 
to a house some three miles off, he told Joe to get me and 
take it. 

We made the trip, left the note and started back in a 
slow walk. When we came to the brick-field we saw a cart 
with a great load of bricks ; the wheels had stuck fast in 
the stiff mud, while the driv-er slashed his hors-es like a 
brute. Joe pulled up. It was a sad sight. The two hors-es 
strained with all their might to drag the cart out, but they 
could not move it. The sweat steamed from their legs and 
flanks, their sides heaved and still they tugged at the great 
load, while the man pulled at the head of the fore horse 
and swore and slashed like a mad-man. 

“ Hold there,” said Joe ; “ don’t flog the horse like that ; 
the wheels are so stuck that they can’t move the cart.” 


42 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


The man took no heed, but kept on with his whip. 

“ Stop ! pray stop ! ” said Joe. “ I’ll help you take some 
of the bricks out ; they can’t move it now.” 

“ Mind your own work, you pert young knave, and I’ll 
mind mine.” 

The man was the worse for drink, and in a great rage, 
he once more laid on the whip. 

Joe turned my head and we went at a round gait to the 
house of the man who owned the brick-field. I can not say 
that John would have thought well of our pace, but Joe and 
I were of one mind and so mad that we could not go 
slow. 

The house stood close by the road-side. Joe knocked 
at the door and shouted, “Hal-loo ! Is Mr. Clay at home?” 

Mr. Clay soon came out. 

“ Hal-loo ! young man. You seem in great haste ; have 
you some word from the Squire to-day ? ” 

“ No, Mr. Clay, but there is a man in your brick-yard 
who will flog two hors-es to death, I told him to stop and 
he wouldn’t ; I said I’d help him, but he wouldn’t let me ; so 
I’ve come to tell- you. Pray sir, go.” 

“ Thank you, my lad,” said the man, and ran in to get 
his hat. As he came back he said to Joe, “Will you tell 
what you have seen if I bring the man up to the Squire ? ” 

“ That I will,” said Joe, “ and glad too.” The man was 
gone and we were on our way at a smart trot. 

“Why, what’s up with you, Joe? You look mad all 
through,” said John as we stopped. 


JOE GREEK 


43 


“ I am mad, 1 ’ said the boy ; then he told what he had 
seen and done. Joe was such a calm boy that it was 
strange to see him so roused. 

“ Eight, Joe. You did right, my boy. Some folks 
would have gone by and said it was not for them to stop 
the man, but I say when you see a poor dumb beast ill 
treated, you ought to try to stop it. You did right, my 
boy.” 

Joe was quite cool by this time, and proud that John 
was pleased with him. 

Just as they start-ed home at noon, the foot-man came 
down to say that Joe was wanted at once in the mas-ter’s 
room ; there was a man brought up who had ill-used his 
hors-es and they wanted to hear what Joe could tell. The 
boy flushed up to his hair and his eyes spark-led. 

“ They shall hear it,” said he. 

Joe gave a pull at his neck-tie, a twitch at his coat, and 
was off in no time. 

As our mas-ter was judge for that part of the shire, 
cas-es were brought to him to say what should be done with 
them. 

When Joe came back to the stalls I saw he was in high 
glee ; he gave me a slap and said, “We won’t see such things 
done, will we, Beau-ty ? ” 

Late that day, we heard that Joe had told his tale in 
such a clear way, and the poor hors-es were so bruised and 
cut, that the man was sent to jail for two or three months. 

It was strange to see how Joe had changed. John 


44 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


laughed and said he had grown an inch in height in that 
one week. He was just as kind as he had been, but there 
was more pluck in what he did — as if he had jumped at 
once from a boy to a man. 


THE PARTING. 


45 



CHAPTER XY. 


THE PART-ING. 

We had lived in this good place three years, but a sad 
change was now to come. We first heard that our mis- 
tress was ill ; then we heard that she must leave her home 
and go to a warm place for two or three years. 

The news fell on us like the toll of a death bell. The 
mas-ter looked grave as he made plans to break up his home 
and leave it. John came and went with his lips closed and 
a grieved look, while Joe was no more so full of life as he 
once was. 

The first to leave were our young folks. They came to 
bid us good-by. They hugged poor Mer-ry-legs as if he 
were a dear friend, and so he was. 

Then we heard what was to be done with us. Mas-ter 

had sold Grin-ger and me to his friend, the Earl of W , 

for he thought we should have a good place there. Mer-ry- 
legs he gave to a friend near-by who wanted a po-ny for his 
wife to drive. Joe was to take care of him and help in the 
house, so I thought Mer-ry-legs was well off. 

As they were to leave the next day, mas-ter came in 
the stalls to give his hors-es the last pat. He seemed quite 


46 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


cast down ; I knew that by his voice. I think we can tell 
more by the voice than men can. 

“ Have you made up your mind what you will do, 
John ? ” he asked. 

“Yes, sir ; I think if I could get a place with some first- 
rate man who trains colts it would be the right thing for 
me. I get on well with hors-es, and if I could help some of 
them to a fair start, I should feel as if I had done some 
good. What do you think of it, sir ? ” 

“ I don’t know a man so well suited to this work as you 
are,” said mas-ter. “ I am sure you will do well. If I can 
help you, write to me.” 

Mas-ter then thanked John for the way in which he 
had served him, so long and so true ; but this was too much 
for John. 

“ Pray, don’t, sir, I can’t bear it. You and my dear 
mis-tress have done so much for me ; but we shall bear it 
all in mind ; and please God, we may some day see mis- 
tress back quite well, and at her old place. We must keep 
up hope, sir.” 

Mas-ter gave John his hand, but they did not speak and 
both went out. 

The last sad day had come. Gin-ger and I brought the 
coach up to the door for the last time. Shawls and rugs 
were brought out, then mas-ter came down the steps with 
mis-tress in his arms. He placed her with care in the coach, 
while the house-maids stood around with tears in their 
eyes. 


THE PARTING. 


47 


“ Good-by,” lie said ; “ we shall not for-get you,” and he 
got in. “ Drive on, John.” 

Joe jumped up and we went through the park and 
through the town, where the folks stood at their doors to 
have a last look and to say, “ God bless them.” 

When we reached the train, I heard mis-tress say in 
her own sweet voice, “Good-by, John. “God bless you.” 
I felt the rein twitch, but John could not speak. Poor Joe, 
he stood close up to our heads to hide his tears. 

Soon the train glid-ed off and left us with sad hearts. 

When it was clear out of sight, John said, “ This is the 
last time we shall see our dear mis-tress.” 

He took the reins and with Joe drove back home ; but 
it was not our home now. 


48 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



NEW HOMES. 

The next day Joe put Mer-ry-legs to the low chaise to 
take him to his new home. He came first and said good- 
by to us and Mer-ry-legs neighed to us from the yard. 

Then John came and took Gin-ger and me some twelve 
miles to where the Earl of W lived. 

When we reached the place, John asked for Mr. York. 
He soon came out, and spoke to John as if he were glad to 
see him. He called a groom, who took us to a light clean 
stall where we were rubbed down and fed, while Mr. York 
and John went in to take some tea. 

In half an hour they came back and Mr. York then 
looked at us with great care. 

“I can see no fault in these hors-es,” he said, “ but as 
each horse has some way of his own, I would like you to 
tell me what there is in these that it would be best I should 
know.” 

“ Well,” said John, “ the black one is as good a horse as 
you will find, and all his wish is to do what you want ; but 
I can not say quite so much for the mare. So long as she 
is well treat-ed she is all right ; but if she is ill-used she will 
give tit for tat,” 


NEW HOMES. 


49 


“ Of course,” said York, “ I see. I’ll bear in mind what 
you have said of the mare.” 

As they left the stall John stopped and said, “I had 
best tell you that we have not used the check rein with 
these hors-es.” 

“ Well,” said York, “if they come here they must wear 
it. I like a loose rein and the Earl is not hard on his 
hors-es ; but my la-dy — well, she will have style, and if her 
coach hors-es are not reined up tight she wouldn’t look at 
them.” 

“ That is too bad, too bad,” said John, “ but I must go 
now or I shall miss the train.” 

He came round to each of us to pat and speak to us 
for the last time. 

I held my face close to him ; that was all I could do to 
say good-by ; and then he w T as gone, and I have nev-er seen 
him since. 

The next day when Lord W came to look at us, 

York told him what John had said of us. 

“ Well,” he said, “ you must keep an eye on the mare 
and not put the check rein too tight at first. I’ll speak of 
it to your lady.” 

That same day we were put to the coach, and as the 
clock struck three, were led round to the front of the house. 
It was all grand, but for me it had not half the charm of 
the house at the dear old home, though it was three or four 
times as large. Two foot-men dressed in gay clothes 
stood by. 


60 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


Soon wo heard the rus-tle of silk skirts as my la-dy 
came down the stone steps. She was tall and looked proud. 
She didn’t seem pleased when she looked at us, but took 
her seat in the coach. 

This was the first time I wore a check-rein and while 
it did not hold my head too high, it was bad not to get my 
head down now and then. I watched Gin-ger to see how 
she bore it, but she went on all right. 

The next day at three o’clock we were once more at the 
door. We heard the silk dress rus-tle and the la-dy came 
down the steps. 

“ York, you must put those hors*es’ heads up ; they are 
not fit to be seen,” she said in a stern voice. 

York got down, and with a tip of his hat said, “ By 
your leave, my la-dy, I must say that these hors-es have 
not been reined up for three years, and my lord said it 
would not be best to bring them too high at first ; but I can 
bring them up more if you wish.” 

“Do so,” she said. 

York came round and moved the rein one hole. That 
day we had a steep hill to climb. Of course, I wished to 
put my head down and go up the hill with a will as we had 
been used to do ; but no, I had to pull with my head up 
now. That threw the strain on my back and legs and took 
all the life out of me. When we came in Gin-ger said, 
“ Now, you see what the check rein is like ; but this is 
not so bad as it might be, and if it gets no worse I shall 
bear it ? as we are well treat-ed here ; but if they strain me 


NEW HOMES. 


51 


up too tight, why, let ’em look out. I can’t stand it and I 
won’t.” 

Day by day, hole by hole, the check reins were drawn 
up, till we came to look with dread to the three o’clock 
drive. 


52 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

A STRIKE TO BE FREE. 

One day my la-dy came down a half hour late. She 
gave a glance at us and said, “ When are you to get those 
hors-es’ heads up, York ? Raise them at once and let us 
have no more of these whims.” 

York came to me first, while the groom stood at Gin 
ger’s head. He drew my head back and fixed the reins so 
that it gave me great pain ; then he went to Gin-ger, who 
knew too well what was to come. As soon as York took 
the rein off the hook, she reared up so quick that York got 
a rough lick on the nose, and the groom was knocked down. 
At once they both flew to her head ; but she was a match 
for them and plunged and reared and kicked. At last she 
fell on the coach pole and York sat on her head to keep her 
still ; at the same time he called, “ Take out the black horse. 
Cut the trace here, if you can’t get it loose.” One of the 
men brought a knife from the house ; the groom soon set 
me free from Gin-ger and the coach and led me to my box. 

Soon Gin-ger was led in by two grooms, who were a 
good deal bruised and knocked up. 


A STRIKE TO BE FREE. 


53 


“ Oh, these check reins,” York said when he came in, 
“ I knew some harm would come of them. Mas-ter will be 
vexed, but if he can’t rule his wife, of course I can’t.” 

York did not say this where the men could hear it. 

Lord W was much put out when he learned what 

Gin-ger had done. He blamed York that he should give 
way to his mis-tress. 

This was the last time that Gin-ger was put to the 
coach, but when she was well of her wounds one of Lord 

W ’s sons said he would like to have her, as he was sure 

she would make a good horse for the chase. As for me I 
was still to go in the coach and still to wear the check rein. 

The pain which that rein gave me for four long months, 
it would be hard to tell, but I am sure if it had not come to 
an end my health would have been ru-ined for life. When 
I came in from my work, my neck and chest were strained, 
my mouth and tongue were sore, I was full of pain and all 
out of sorts. 

In my old home I knew that John and mas-ter were my 
friends, but here though I was well treated I had no friends, 
and thus I lived on in my worn and sad state. 


54 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 


A WILD HOESE. 

La-dy Anne, who liked to ride on horse-back, chose 
me for her horse and named me Black Aus-ter. How glad 
1 was when the time came for these rides in the clear, cold 
air, some-times with Gin-ger, some-times with Liz-zie. This 
Liz-zie was a light bay mare of whom the men were quite 
fond, but Gin-ger, who knew her well, told me she could not 
be trust-ed. 

One of the men named Blan-tyre, who stayed at the 
hall, rode Liz-zie and praised her so much, that one day 
La-dy Anne told the groom to bring out Liz-zie for her. 
When we came to the door, Blan-tyre seemed not to 
like it. 

“ How is this ? ” he said. “ Are you tired of your good 
Black Aus-ter ? ” 

“ Oh, no, not at all,” she said ; “ but I will be so kind 
that I will let you ride him this once, while I try your 
pet.” 

“ Do let me beg you not to mount her,” he said. “ She 
is not safe ; I beg you not to ride her.” 

u My dear friend,” said La-dy Anne, “ pray do not have 


A WILD HORSE. 


55 


so much care for me. I have known how to ride, since I 
was a mere child. So please help me to mount, like the good 
friend that you are.” 

There was no more to be said. He helped her to mount, 
looked at the bits and the curb, gave her the reins, then 
mount-ed me. Just as we moved off the foot-man came 
with a note that was to be left at Dr. Ash-by’s. 

When we reached his gate, Blan-tyre got down and 
went up the short drive to the house, but La-dy Anne said 
she would wait for him there. 

“ I will soon be back,” he said, as he hung my rein on a 
spike of the fence. Liz-zie stood by the side of the road 
while my young mis-tress sat with a loose rein and hum- 
med a song. 

Just then some young colts trot-ted out from a field 
near by ; next we heard the loud crack of a whip in the 
hands of the boy who was with them. 

The colts were full of life and one of them came so near 
Liz-zie’s hind legs as to strike her. She gave a hard kick 
and dashed off in a head-long run. 

I gave a loud neigh for help ; I pawed the earth and 
tossed my head to get the rein loose. 

Blan-tyre came on a run, and reached the gate just in 
time to catch sight of them now far off on the road. He 
sprang to my back and gave me a free rein. 

For a mile the road ran straight, then bent to the right 
and there part-ed in two. Long ere we came to the bend 
she was out of sight. Which way had she turned? A 


56 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


wom-an stood at her gate and looked np the road. With 
a slight halt Blan-tyre shouted, “ Which way ? ” 

“ To the right,” cried she, and on we went, up the right 
hand road. 

We caught sight of her, hut did not seem to gain at all. 

An old man who stood near a pile of stones, dropped 
his spade and made a sign to speak. Blan-tyre drew up. 

“ To the downs, to the downs, sir. She has turned off 
there,” cried the old man. 

We had but turned on the downs, when we caught 
sight of my la-dy as she dashed on in front. Her hat was 
gone, and her long brown hair streamed in the wind. Her 
head was thrown back as if she pulled with all her strength 
and as if that strength would soon be gone. It was clear 
that Liz-zie’s speed was not so high and there was a chance 
that we might come up with her. 

A wide dike crossed the heath and the fresh earth 
from the ditch was cast up on the far side. This will stop 
her I thought. But no, with a short pause, Liz-zie took the 
leap, struck her feet on the rough clods and fell. 

Blan-tyre groaned, “ Now, Aus-ter, do your best.” He 
gave me a full rein and with one bold leap I cleared both 
ditch and dike. 

My poor mis-tress lay on the earth with no signs of 
life. Blan-tyre kneeled down and called her name ; there 
was no sound. He turned her face up ; it was white as 
death and her eyes were closed. 

A “ Anne, dear Anne, do speak.” But no words came. 


A WILD HOUSE. 


57 


He felt her hands and wrists, then start-ed up and 
looked round for help. His call soon brought two men 
who were at work near by. One of them seemed much 
grieved at the sight, and asked what he could do. 

“ Can you ride ? ” 

“ Well, sir, I’m not much of a horse-man, but I’d risk 
my neck for the La-dy Anne ; she was so good to my wife 
last year.” 

“ Then mount this horse, my friend — your neck will be 
quite safe — ride to the doc-tor’s and ask him to come at once ; 
then go on to the hall ; tell them of La-dy Anne’s fall, and 
bid them send the coach with her maid and help. I shall 
stay here.” 

“ All right, sir, I’ll do my best, and I pray God the dear 
young la-dy may not be much hurt.” 

Then he climbed on my back and with a “Gee up” and 
a clap on my sides with both legs, he started on his ride. 
I shook him no more than I could help, but once or twice 
on rough ground I thought he would fall. At the doc-tor’s 
and the hall he told what was want-ed like a good man and 
true. 

There was a great deal of talk and haste as they ran 
to and fro, when the news was told : 

Gin-ger was sent off in haste for Lord George and I 
soon heard the coach roll out of the yard. 

It seemed a long time before Gin-ger came back, and 
then she told me all she had seen. 

“ I can’t tell much,” she said. “We went in a run most 


58 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


of the way and reached there just as the doc-tor rode up. 
All I heard was 4 she is not dead.’ When we had wait-ed 
a-while they took her to the coach and we came home. I 
heard Lord George say he hoped she was not much hurt 
though she was still too weak to speak.” 

The next day Blan-tyre came to my stall and pat-ted 
and praised me a great deal. Lord George was with him 
and I learned from what they said that my young mis-tress 
would soon be well. 

This was good news to me when I thought of the rides 
we would take in the cool fresh air. 


SMITH. 


59 



SMITH. 

I must now tell you of Smith in whose charge we were 
left when York went to Lon-clon with the earl. 

Smith was a fine groom, liked by all who knew him, 
but he had one great fault — he was too fond of strong 
drink. He would keep all right for months at a time, then 
he would break* out and have, what York called “ a bout ” 
of it, and be a plague to his poor wife and all who had to 
do with him. York had kept these things from the earl’s 
ears ; but one night when Smith had to drive the coach 
home from a ball he was so drunk he could not hold the 
reins. 

Of course, he was at once turned off, but York begged 
the earl to take him back, and Smith had said he would 
not taste a drop while he stayed there. 

He kept his word so well that it was thought safe to 
leave him in charge of the hors-es while York was gone. 

The light gig was to be fresh done up. Smith was to 
drive it to town, leave it and ride me back. 

We left the gig at the shop, then went to the Inn. 
Smith told the groom to feed me well and he would call 
for me at four o’clock. 


60 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


Smith did not come till five, then said he would not 
leave un-til six as he had met some old friends. The man 
then told him of the nail and asked if he should have the 
shoe looked to. 

“ No,” said Smith, “ that will be all right till we get 
home.” 

I thought it strange that he should let a loose nail pass 
in this way, when it was his rule to look to them at once. 

He did not come till near nine o’clock and then he 
seemed in a bad mood and blamed the groom, though I 
could not tell for what. 

He soon had me on the run and gave me sharp cuts 
with his whip, though I went at full speed. It was quite 
dark ; the roads were full of stones and at . this pace my 
shoe soon came off. 

There was a long piece of road, laid with sharp stones. 
On this road, with one shoe gone, I was forced at the height 
of my speed, with a cut and a wild curse to urge me on. 
My foot was in great pain ; the hoof broke and split to the 
quick, and the flesh was torn by the stones. 

No horse could keep on his feet long in a case like this ; 
the pain was too great. 

At last I fell on both my knees. Smith was thrown 
off, and fell with great force. I got up and limped to the 
side of the road where it was free from stones. 

The moon had come up, and by its light I could see 
Smith as he lay near me. He made one slight move ; then 
there was a dull groan. I could have-groaned too, I was in 


SMITH. 


61 * 

such pain, both from my foot and from my knees, but 
hors-es must bear their aches and still be dumb. One more 
groan from Smith ; still no sign of life. 

Oh, how I strained my ears for the sound of horse, or 
wheels or steps, but at this time of night we might stay for 
hours with no one to help us. 

It was a calm sweet night, which made me think of the 
warm nights long gone by, when I lay by the side of my 
moth-er on the green grass at my first old home. 


G2 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



CHAPTER XX. 


HOW IT END-ED. 

It must have been near twelve o’clock at night when I 
heard, a long way off, the sound of hors-es’ feet. At times 
it died out, then once more it was clear. I hoped it was 
some one from our house in search of us. At last I was 
sure it was Gin-ger’s step. I neighed as loud as I could, 
and oh, how glad I was to hear her neigh back, and to hear 
the voice of men ! 

They came on, and stopped near where Smith lay. One 
of the men jumped out and stooped down by his side. “ It 
is Smith,” he said, “ and he does not stir.” 

Then they both bent down to look. “ He’s dead,” one 
said, “ feel how cold his hands are.” 

They raised him up, but there was no life, and his hair 
was soaked with blood. They laid him down and came and 
looked at me. They saw my cut knees. 

“ Why, the horse has been down and thrown him. No 
one thought the black horse could fall. Smith must have 
been here for hours. Odd, too, that the horse has not moved 
from the place.” 

He then tried to lead me a few steps. 


HOW IT ENDED. 


63 


“ Hal-loo ! he’s bad in his foot as well as his knees. 
Look here — his hoof is all cut up ; he might well come down, 
poor horse. I tell you what, Ned, it hasn’t been all right 
with Smith. Why if he had been in his right mind, he 
would just as soon tried to ride a horse to the moon as to 
ride him on these rough stones with one shoe gone. I fear 
he has been at the same old thing.” 

Then they talked a-while and at last thought best that 
the groom should lead me home and that Ned should take 
the dead man in the dog-cart. 

Ned start-ed off with his sad load, and the groom came 
and bound a cloth round my foot and we too set out for 
home. It was more than three miles, but I limped on as 
well as I could, though each step gave me pain. Now and 
then the groom stopped and pat-ted me and spoke to me 
in a kind voice. 

At last I reached my box and had some corn. The 
groom wrapped up my knees in wet cloths, and bathed my 
foot to soothe and cleanse it. 

Then I lay down on the straw and slept in spite of my 
pain. 

They did their best to make a good cure, and when at 
last my knees were healed, a flu-id was put on the front of 
them to bring all the hair off. There was some cause for 
this and I guess it was all right, but oh, how I did hate to 
have my looks spoiled in this way ! 

As there was no one there to see it, no one knew just 
how Smith came to his death, The men in the Inn said he 


64 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


was drunk when he left the Inn. The man at the toll-gate 
said he rode at full speed through the gate. My shoe was 
picked up on the stones, so that my case was quite plain to 
them, and I was cleared of all blame. 


RUINED. 


65 



CHAPTER XXI. 

RU-INED. 

As soon as my knees were healed I was turned on the 
grass for a month or two. No one else was there and 
though the fresh grass was sweet, and I was glad to be 
free, yet I want-ed some one with me. 

One day the gate was thrown wide and who should 
come in but dear old Gin-ger. With a glad neigh I went 
up to her ; we were both pleased to meet, but I soon found 
it was not to please us she was brought to be with me. 

She too had been ru-ined and was now turned off to see 
what rest would do. Lord George was young and would 
hunt when he wished with no thought for the good of his 
horse ; so her wind was touched and her back strained 
with his great weight. 

“ And so,” she said, “ here we are spoiled in the prime 
of our youth — you by a man full of drink, and I by a fool. 
It is too hard.” 

But these sad thoughts did not spoil our joy and we 
would stand for hours in the shade and talk of the good old 
times. 


66 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


One day the earl came with York to have a look at us. 
The earl seemed much shocked as he said : 

“ This is a great loss, but what I care most for is that, 
these hors-es of my old friend should come to this. The 
mare shall have a twelve-months’ run, but the black one 
must be sold. It grieves me, but I could not have knees 
like that in my stalls.” 

“ No, my lord, of course not,” said York, “ but he might 
get a place where looks are not so much thought of and 
still be well treat-ed. I know a man in Bath who wants a 
good horse at a low price, and who takes the best care of 
his hors-es.” 

“ Well, write to him at once, York.” 

Then they left us. 

“ They’ll soon take you off,” said Gin-ger. “ I shall lose 
the one friend I have, and shall see you no more. ’Tis a 
hard world.” 

The next week the groom came and led me from the 
lot. Gin-ger trot-ted by the hedge and neighed to me as 
long as she could hear the sound of my feet. 

I was bought by the man York spoke of. 

The stalls of my new place were not so light and full 
of fresh air as those I had been used to. The floors were 
laid so that I had to stand on a slope which kept me tired 
and strained all the time. Men do not seem to know that 
we can do more work if we stand at ease and can turn as 
we wish. I was well fed and well cleaned and I think our 
mas-ter took as good care of us as he could. 


A JOB HORSE. 


67 



A JOB HORSE. 

As our new mas-ter kept hors-es to hire, I was now a 
“job horse” and let out to all sorts of men who wished to 
hire me. It would take a long time to tell all the ways in 
which these men drove me — but I will tell you of a few. 

First there were the men who drove with a tight rein — 
men who seemed to think that if they did not hold the 
reins as tight as they could and pull on the horse’s mouth 
with all their strength, he would fall, just as if a horse 
needed help to stand up. 

Then there are the men who drive with the loose rein ; 
who let the reins lie on our backs, and their own hands 
rest on their knees. If a horse shies or starts they can not 
help him until the harm is done. One likes to feel the 
reins as he goes down hill and likes to know that the man 
who drives him has not gone to sleep. 

If you drive a horse with a loose rein, it will in the end 
spoil him and make him a slow horse. Squire Gor-don said 
it was as wrong to spoil a horse as to spoil a child, and both 
had to bear pain for it some-time. 

These men give more heed to all else than to the horse 
they drive. I went out one day with one of them. He had 


68 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


some friends with him and laughed and joked with them, but 
did not think it worth while to keep an eye on his horse 
and drive him in the smooth parts of the road. The road 
was full of loose stones and soon I got one in my foot. 

If John had been there he would have seen it ere I had 
gone ten steps. But this man drove me on for a good half 
mile. By that time I was so lame that he saw it and called 
out, “ Well, here’s a go. What a shame to send us out with 
a lame horse.” 

Then he chucked the reins and said, “It’s no use to 
play that game on me ; there’s the trip to make and it’s no 
use to turn lame now.” 

Just at this time a man rode up on a brown cob. He 
lifted his hat and pulled up. 

“ I beg your par-don, sir,” he said, “ but your horse goes 
as if he had a stone in his shoe. By your leave I will look 
at his feet ; these loose stones are bad things for hors-es.” 

“ He’s a hired horse, and I think it is a great shame to 
send out a lame beast like this.” 

The man got down and took up my near foot. 

“Bless me, there’s a stone. Lame! I should think 

so.” 

He took it out with a stone pick he had with him. 
Then he held it up and said, “ There ; that’s the stone your 
horse had picked up. Strange he did not fall.” 

“ Well, to be sure,” said the man who drove me, “that 
is a queer thing. I didn’t know that a horse picked up 
stones,” 


A JOB HORSE. 


69 


€t But they do, and if you don’t want to lame your 
horse you must get them out at once.” 

With that he mount-ed his cob, raised his hat and 
trot-ted off. 

Then there are the men from towns who have nev-er 
had a horse of their own. They seem to think if they pay 
for it a horse is bound to go just as far and just as fast and 
with just as great a load as they please. Be the roads dry 
or full of mud ; be they up hill or down hill, it is all the 
same — on, on, on, one must go, with no stops, no rest. 
And so the whip is plied and a rough voice cries out, “ Go 
on, you dull beast.” 

These men don’t put on the brake as they go down a 
steep hill, or if they do put it on, they fail to take it off at 
the foot of the hill, and it is a great strain on a horse to pull 
a weight up a hill with one of the wheels held by a brake. 
When they turn a sharp bend they drive as if there were no 
right side or wrong side of the road, and more than one 
good horse has been lamed for such want of care. 

These are some of the bad things we job hors-escome in 
for, though I am glad to say, that some-times we were hired 
by good men who knew how to drive. 

One day I was put to the light gig and two men came 
out. One of them came round to my head ; he looked at 
the bit and shift-ed some of the straps to see if they fit-ted 
at ease. 

“ Do you think this horse needs a curb ?” he asked. 

“ Well,” said the groom, “ I should think he would go 


70 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


just as well with no curb, but most men like it and I put 
it on.” 

“ I don’t like it, be so good as to take it off and put the 
rein in at the check.” 

Then he gave me a pat, took the reins and they both 
got in. I arched my neck and set out at my best pace. I 
found there was some one in the gig who knew how to 
drive a good horse. It seemed like old times, and made me 
feel quite gay. 

When this man had tried me two or three times, he 
grew quite fond of me and begged my mas-ter to sell me to 
one of his friends, who wanted a safe horse to ride. And 
so it came to pass that I was sold once more. 


A THIEF. 


71 



CHAPTER XXIII. 


A THIEF. 

My new mas-ter, who had no wife, lived at Bath, and 
spent but a small part of his time at home. He had been 
told to ride horse-back for his health, and that was why 
he bought me. He rent-ed a stall near where he lived and 
hired a groom. My mas-ter treated me well, and I should 
have had a good place but for things he did not know. 

I heard him tell the groom to get the best hay, oats, 
crushed beans and bran for me, so I knew there was no 
lack of good food and I thought I was well off. 

For a few days all went well. My groom kept the stall 
clean and dry ; he rubbed me down with care and was as 
kind as could be. 

Soon my food came short — there was not half what 
there should have been. In two or three weeks this told 
on my strength, for the grass food with no corn was not 
the thing to keep me well and strong. But I could not 
make known my wants. So it went on for near two 
months; and I thought strange my mas-ter did not see the 
change in my looks. 

One day he rode me out to see a friend, who lived on 


72 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


the road to Wells. This friend had a quick eye for hors-es, 
and when they had talked a- while he said : 

“ It seems to me, Bar-ry, your horse does not look so 
well as he did when you bought him ; has he been well ? ” 

“ Yes, I think so,” said my mas-ter ; “ but he is not so 
full of life as he was ; my groom tells me hors-es are more 
or less dull in the fall.” 

“ Why it’s not fall yet ; and with your light work, and 
good food, he ought not to go down like this, if it was fall. 
How do you feed him ? ” 

When my mas-ter told him, he shook his head, then 
felt my sides and legs. 

“ I can’t say who eats your corn, my dear Bar-ry, but of 
one thing I’m sure — your horse doesn’t get it. Did you ride 
fast ? ” # 

“ No, at quite a slow pace.” 

“ Then just put your hand here,” said he, as he laid his 
hand on my neck ; “ he is as warm and damp as a horse 
just come up from grass. You must look to his feed more. 
I tell you there are men so mean they will rob a dumb beast 
of his food. You must look to it.” 

He turned to his man who had come to take me, 
“ Give this horse a good feed of bruised oats and don’t stint 
him.” 

“ Dumb beasts,” but I knew where my oats went, 
though I could not tell my mas-ter. My groom used to 
come at six o’clock, and with him a small boy, who had a 
sack in his hands. This boy went with the groom to the 


A THIEF. 


73 


room where the oats were kept and I could see him fill the 
bag with oats out of the bin, and then he would go. 

One day just as the boy had left the barn, a man walked 
through the door and brought back the boy, whom he held 
tight by the arm. 

“ Show me the place where your fath-er keeps the food 
for his hares,” the man said. 

The boy cried out with fright, but as he could not get 
out of it, he led the way to the oat-bin. Here they found 
a bag like that which was found full of oats in the boy’s 
hands. 

The groom was in my stall at the time but they soon 
saw him, and though he flew in a great rage they walked 
him off to the “ lock-up,” and his boy went with him. I 
heard next day that the boy was not held, but the man was 
sent to jail for two months. 


74 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 


A FRAUD. 

In a few days a new groom came. He was tall and 
looked well, but if there could be a fraud in the shape of a 
groom, Smirk was the man. He did not use me ill, in fact, 
he stroked and pat-ted me a great deal when his mas-ter 
was there to see it. He w x ashed my mane and tail when he 
whisked them and put oil on my hoofs to make me look 
smart ; but he no more cleaned my feet, or looked to my 
shoes, or groomed me well, than if I had been a cow. 

When his mas-ter talked with him it was, “ Yes, sir ; 
yes, sir,” — with a tip of his hat with each word. All thought 
he was a nice young man, and that Mr. Bar-ry was in luck 
to get him. 

Of course it was a fine thing not to be ill-used, but a 
horse wants more than that. He would not take all the 
straw from my box and the smell from what was left was 
quite bad, while the strong gas that rose from it made my 
eyes sore. 

One day his mas-ter came in and said, “ Smirk, I don’t 
like the smell of this stall. Are you sure the drains are all 
right ? ” 


A FRAUD. 


75 


“ Well, sir,” Smirk said with a tip of his cap, “since 
you speak of it, the drain does send back a smell. It may 
be wrong, sir.” 

“ Then send for a man and have it seen to.” 

“ Yes, sir, I will.” 

The man came and pulled up two rows of bricks, 
but found the drain in good shape ; so he put down some 
lime and charged the mas-ter a big price for what he did — 
but the smell in my box was as bad as it had been. But 
that was not all ; the moist straw on which I stood made 
my feet sore and soft. 

One day when my feet were in this state I came so 
near to a fall with my mas-ter, that he stopped and asked a 
man who knew such things to see what was wrong with 
me. The man took up my feet one by one, and looked at 
them. 

“ Your horse has the ‘ thrush ’ and a bad case of it too,” 
he said. “ His feet are so soft, it is strange he does not 
come down. Why has your groom not seen it? This is 
the sort of thing we find in foul stalls where the straw is left 
too long. If you will send him to me, I will see to his hoof 
and show your man how to use the salve I will give him.” 

The next day my feet were well cleaned and stuffed 
with tow soaked in some strong stuff, and a bad time it was 
for me. 

The groom was told to take all the straw from my box 
day by day and to keep the floor clean. I was to have some 
green food but not much corn till my feet were well. 


76 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


Treat-ed in this way I was soon well, but my mas-ter 
was so vexed that he had been twice fooled by his grooms, 
that he made up his mind not to keep a horse of his own, 
but to hire when he want-ed one. 

I was kept till my feet were all right then sold once 


more. 


A HORSE FAIR. 


77 



A HORSE FAIR. 

I was sent to a horse fair to be sold, where there was 
much to be seen that was new to me. There were long 
strings of all sorts of hors-es both young and old. Some of 
them were high-bred, quite in their prime, and fit for the 
best use. 

But round at the back were some poor things, worn 
out with hard work, who looked as if there were no more 
hope in life for them ; there were some so thin you might 
count their ribs, and some with old sores on their backs 
and hips. These were sad sights for a horse to look at, who 
knows not but he may some day come to the same state. 

Men came to look at me, but few that I liked ; till at 
last there w T as one man, I thought if he would buy me, I 
should be so pleased. 

He was a small, well-made man, with a kind gray eye, 
and I knew by the way he touched me that he was used to 
hors-es. It may seem strange — but it is true all the same 
— that the clean fresh smell of his clothes made me take to 
him ; no smell of old beer and a pipe, which I ha-ted, but a 
fresh smell as if he had come out of a hay loft. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


He made a bid for me but the man would not take it, 
and he walked off. Then a man with a loud, rough voice 
came and I was in dread lest he should take me ; but he 
went off. 

Just then the gray-eyed man came back. I reached 
out my head to him. He stroked my face and said : “ Well, 
old chap, I think you will suit.” 

The man who had me in charge saw that he could not 
get the full price he asked, so he came down. The cash 
was paid on the spot, and the gray-eyed man led me out of 
the fair to an inn. He gave me a good feed of oats, and 
stood by while I ate it. 

In half an hour we were on our way to Lon-don, through 
fine lanes and roads till we reached the great town. The 
gas lamps were light-ed ; there were streets to the right and 
streets to the left ; streets this way and streets that way, 
for mile on mile. I thought we should nev-er come to the 
end of them. At last, we came to a long cab-stand when 
my mas-ter called out, “ Good-night, Grant.” 

“ Hal-loo ! ” cried a voice, “ have you got a good one?” 

“ I think so.” 

“ I wish you luck with him.” 

“ Thank you, Grant,” and he rode on. 

We pulled up at a house on one of the side streets. The 
wife with a boy and a girl ran out and greet-ed my own-er 
in high glee. 

“ Now, then, Hal, my boy, help me here, while wife will 
bring us a light.” 


A HORSE FAIR. 


79 


"When the light was brought, they all stood round me 
in the small yard. 

“ Is he kind?” 

“ Yes, Dol-ly, as kind as your own cat ; come and pat 
him.” 

At once the soft hand was on my face and neck. How 
good it felt ! 

“ Let me get him a bran mash while you rub him down,” 
said the wife. 

“ Do, my dear, it’s what he wants most ; and you’ve got 
a good mash for me too, haven’t you ? ” 

I was led to a clean stall with dry straw in it. I ate 
my mash and lay down to sleep, glad at the thought that I 
was once more at a good place. 


80 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 


A CAB HORSE. 

My new mas-ter’s name was Jer-ry. Pol-ly, his wife, 
was just as good a match as a man could have. She was 
plump and trim, with smooth dark hair, dark eyes, and a 
mouth with smiles round it. The boy was twelve years 
old, a tall, frank lad, and Dol-ly, who had her moth-er’s 
dark hair and eyes, was eight. 

Each one showed so much love, and all were so full of 
life and hope and good cheer, that I liked to have them 
near me. 

Jer-ry had a cab of his own and two hors-es that he 
drove and cared for. 

The next day, when I was well groomed, Pol-ly and 
Dol-ly came in the yard to see me and make friends. Pol-ly 
brought me some fruit, and Dol-ly a piece of bread. They 
made as much of me as if I had been the “ Black Beau-ty ” 
of old times. It was a great treat to be pet-ted and talked 
to once more, so I let them see as well as I could that I 
wished to be their friend. 


A CAB HORSE. 


81 


Pol-ly thought I was a great deal too good for a cab 
horse, if it was not for my bad knees. 

“ Of course there’s no one to tell us whose fault that 
was,” said Jerry, 44 and as long as I don’t know, I shall charge 
it to some one else, for he has as firm a step as I wish to 
see. We’ll call him 4 Jack’ for the old one — shall we, 
Pol-ly?” 

44 Do,” she said, 44 for I like to keep up a good name.” 

Late in the day I was put to the cab. There was no 
check rein, no curb, just a plain bit. What good luck that 
was ! 

We went through the side street, and came out at the 
large cab stand where Jer-ry had seen Grant. On one side 
of this wide street stood an old church with a low fence 
round it. By the side of this fence a long line of cabs was 
drawn up to wait for fares. 

We pulled up in the rank, at the back of the last cab. 

Two or three men came round to look at Jer-ry’s new 
horse. 

44 He looks too smart,” said one, with a wise shake of 
his head. 44 You’ll find out some-thing wrong, one of these 
fine days, or my name isn’t Jones.” 

44 Well,” said Jer-ry, with a smile, 44 1 need not find it 
out, till it finds me out, eh ? And so I’ll keep up hope till 
it comes.” 

Then a man came up dressed in a suit of gray, with a 
blue tie round his neck. His hair was gray too. The men 
all made way for him. He looked at me from head to foot 


82 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


as if he had come to buy me. Then he threw back his head 
with a grunt, and said, “ He’s the right sort for you, Jer-ry ; 
I don’t care what you gave for him he’ll be worth it.” This 
man, whose name was Grant, was known to be a good 
judge of hors-es, so Jer-ry was now sure of my good name 
on the stand. 

The first week of my life as a cab horse was hard. I 
had not been used to Lon-don, and the noise, the haste, the 
crowds of hors-es and carts that I had to make my way 
through, fret-ted me and kept me full of dread ; but I soon 
found I could trust Jer-ry, then I felt more at ease and at 
last got used to it. 

Jer-ry and I were soon on the best of terms. He kept 
us clean and gave us as much change of food as he could ; 
and what we liked quite as well, he gave us all the clean, 
fresh wa-ter we want-ed. Some men say a horse ought not 
to drink all he likes ; but I know if they let us drink when 
we want it, we drink less at a time, and it does us more 
good than to gulp down a great deal at once. 

But the best thing we had here was our Sun-day’s rest. 
We worked so hard in the week that I do not think we could 
have kept up to it but for that day. 


THE SUNDAY CAB. 


83 



CHAPTER XXVII. 


THE SUN-DAY CAB. 

One day, as Jer-ry had just put me to the cab, a man 
came in the yard. When they had talked a- while I heard 
him say : 

“ I wish to hire you to take my wife, Mrs. Briggs, to 
church on Sun-days. We go to the New Church now, and 
it is too far for her to walk.” 

“ Thank you, sir,” said Jer-ry, “I should be glad to 
please Mrs. Briggs, but I do not work on Sun-days. I once 
tried it, but the work was too hard for me and too hard for 
the hors-es. Year in and year out, not a day’s rest, not a 
day with my wife; no time to go to church, it was too much. 
So for the last five years I have worked six days and find it 
best all round.” 

“ Well, of course,” said Mr. Briggs, “it is right that all 
should have rest, and time to go to church, but I should 
have thought you would not have mind-ed such a short 
drive for the hors-es once a day. You would have half 
the day at home, and we are good friends of yours, you 
know.” 


84 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“ Yes, sir, that is true, and I thank you for it, I’m sure, 
and I should be proud to do all I can to please you or Mrs. 
Briggs, but I can’t give up my Sun-days, sir.” 

“ Oh, well,” said Mr. Briggs, “ I will get some one else,” 
and off he walked. 

“ Well,” says Jer-ry to me, “we can’t help it, Jack, old 
boy; we can’t give up our Sun-days.” 

“ Pol-ly ! ” he shout-ed, “Pol-ly ! come here.” 

She was at his side in no time. 

“ What is it, Jer-ry ? ” 

“ Why, my dear, Mr. Briggs wants me to take his wife 
to church on Sun-days, and you know, Pol-ly, they are good 
friends to us. Mrs. Briggs goes out to shop and to make 
calls ; then she pays down fare for the full time. If I fail to 
serve them in this, we may lose them out-right. What do 
you say, my dear ?” 

“ I say, Jer-ry, if Mrs. Briggs would give you one pound 
each Sun-day, I would not have you work on that day. We 
have known what it is to have no Sun-days. God help us 
that we may not turn back to those times. That’s what I 
say, Jer-ry.” 

“ And that is just what I told Mr. Briggs, my dear, 
which I mean to stick to. I would not go back to the old 
times, if I earned twice as much. Now, cheer up, and I’ll 
be off to my day’s work.” 

Thus Jer-ry lost one of his best friends, which he took 
to heart a good deal. But Pol-ly would cheer him up and 
say, “Don’t mind, Jer-ry, don’t mind, 


THE SUNDAY CAB. 


85 


* Do your best, 

And leave the rest, 

’Twill all come right 
Some day or night.’ ” 

Two or three weeks passed with no word from Mrs. 
Briggs, when one day as we came in late, Pol-ly ran out to 
meet us with a light. 

44 It has all come right, Jer-ry ; Mrs. Briggs has sent her 
man to ask you to take her out to-mor-row. I said, 4 Yes, I 
guessed you would, but we thought she hired some one 
else now.’ ” 

“ 4 Well,’ said he, 4 the fact is, mas-ter was put out when 
Mr. Jer-ry would not come on Sun-days, but there’s some- 
thing wrong with all the cabs he has tried. Some drive too 
fast, some too slow, and the mis-tress says there is not one 
half so clean as yours, and no cab will suit her but Mr. 
Jer-ry’s.’ ” 

Pol-ly was out of breath with her long speech, and 
Jer-ry broke out in a loud laugh. 

44 4 ’Twill all come right, some day or night ; ’ you were 
right, my dear. Eun in and get my tea, and I’ll make Jack 
snug in no time.” 


86 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 


THE GOLD-EN RULE. 

Though Mrs. Briggs could not hire Jer-ry ’s cab on Sun- 
days, yet there came a day when we had Sun-day work. 

We had come home at night, quite tired, and glad to 
think that the next day would be all rest, but so it was not 
to be. 

Next day, while Jer-ry cleaned me in the yard, Pol-ly 
came out. She looked as if she had some news. 

“ What is it?” asked Jer-ry. 

“ Well, my dear, poor Di-nali Brown has just heard that 
her moth-er is quite ill, and she wants to go to-day to see 
her. The place is ten miles from here, and if she takes the 
train she would still have four miles to walk, and so weak 
as she is she could not do that. She wants to know if you 
will take her in your cab, and she will pay you as soon as 
she can.” 

“ Tut, tut ! It is not the pay I think of, but we will 
lose our Sun-day. The hors-es are tired, so am I, — that’s 
where the pinch comes.” 

a It is a pinch all round, as to that,” said Pol-ly, “ for it’s 
but half a Sun-day with you gone, but you know we should 


THE GOLDEN RULE. 


87 


do to men as we should like them to do to us. I know full 
well what I should like if I were in Di-nah’s place.” 

“ Why, Pol-ly, how well you preach. Well, you may go 
and tell Di-nali I’ll call for her as the clock strikes ten ; but 
stop — just step round to friend Bray’s and ask him if he 
would lend me his light trap.” 

Off she went and soon came back with word that Mr. 
♦ 

Bray would be glad for him to use the trap. 

“ All right,” said he, “ now put me in a bit of bread and 
cheese, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.” 

“ And I’ll save the meat pie for our tea,” said Pol-ly, 
with one of her bright smiles. 

At ten o’clock we start-ed, in a light, high-wheeled gig, 
which ran with so much ease that it seemed like no weight 
at all by the big cab. 

It was a fine May day, and as soon as we were out of 
the town, the pure air, and the smell of the sweet grass, 
were like they used to be in the old times, and I soon felt 
quite fresh. 

Di-nah's friends lived in a small house, up a green lane, 
close by a field with some fine trees in it. Two cows grazed 
in the shade. A young man asked Jer-ry to bring his trap 
in the field and he would tie me up in the cow-shed. 

“ If your cows do not mind it,” said Jer-ry, “ my horse 
would like so well to have an hour or two on your fine 
grass ; it would be a rare treat to him.” 

“ Turn him in, then, by all means,” said the young 
man, “ the best we have is not too good for you or your 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


horse, since you have been so kind to Dinah. We shall 
have lunch in an hour and I hope you’ll come in, though 
with moth-er so ill, we are all out of sorts in the house.” 

Jer-ry thanked him, but said as he had a lunch with 
him, he too would like to walk in the field. 

When I was turned on the grass, I did not know what 
I should do first — eat the grass or roll on my back, or lie 
down and rest, or have a good old-time run, out of sheer 
joy that I was free ; and I did all by turns. 

Jer-ry seemed to be quite as glad as I was. He sat 
down by a bank in the shade, and when the birds sang he 
sang too, then he read some in the book he is so fond of, 
then walked down by the brook where he picked some 
blooms and tied them up with long sprays of vine. He 
gave me a good feed of oats which he had brought with 
him ; but the time seemed all too short — I had not been in 
a field since I left poor Gin-ger. 

When we reached home, Jer-ry’s first words were, as 
we came in the yard, “ Well, Pol-ly, I have not lost my Sun- 
day at all, for the birds in each bush sang hymns while I 
joined in ; and as for Jack, he was like a young colt, he had 
such a fine run on the fresh sweet grass.” 

When he gave Dol-ly the blooms he had brought, she 
kissed him and jumped for joy. 


A FRIEND IN NEED. 


89 



CHAPTER XXIX. 


A FRIEND IN NEED. 

There came a day when there was no lack of work for 
Jer-ry and me. We were on the go — I might say on the 
run — for more than a half day. At last- we came back to 
the stand and Jer-ry put on my nose-bag, for as he said, 
“We must eat when we can on such days as these; so 
munch your oats, Jack, and make the best of your time, 
old boy.” 

Jer-ry was so kind, what horse would not do his best 
for such a mas-ter ? 

Then he took out one of Pol-ly’s meat pies and stood 
near me while he ate it. 

Just as we were through with our lunch, a young 
wom-an, with a child in her arms, came up the street. She 
looked this way and that way, and seemed quite at a loss. 
She made her way up to Jer-ry, told him where she want-ed 
to go, and asked him how far it was. She had just come in 
that day, in a cart, she said, and knew no one in Lon-don. 
The child whined with a faint cry. 

“ Poor child ! ” she said, “ he is in a deal of pain, but if 


90 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


I can get him in the Home for the Sick, I hope he may 
get well. Pray, sir, how far is it? and which way do I 
go?” 

“ Why, mis-sis,” said Jer-ry, “ yon can’t walk there 
through crowds like this ! It is three miles and that child 
is not light.” 

“ But I am strong, and if you will tell me the way I 
should get on some-how.” 

“ You can’t do it. You might be knocked down and 
the child be hurt. Just get in this cab, and I’ll drive you 
safe to the place.” 

“ No, sir, no ; I can’t do that, thank you, as I can’t pay 
you for it. Please tell me the way.” 

“ Look you here, mis-sis,” said Jer-ry, u I’ve got a wife 
at home, and I know just how a man feels ; now get in 
and I’ll take you there for no pay. It would be a shame 
for me to let you, with that sick child, run a risk like 
that.” 

“ God bless you ! ” she said while her eyes were full of 
tears. 

Just then two men ran up and called out “ Cab !” 

“ Hired,” cried Jer-ry, but they both pushed by and 
took seats in the cab. Jer-ry looked as stern as he could, 
and said, “ This lady is to use the cab.” 

“ Well, she can wait ; we were in first and we shall 
stay in.” 

A droll smile came to Jer-ry ’s face as he shut the cab 
door on them. 


A FRIEND IN NEED. 


91 


“ All right, sirs,” he said, “ pray stay in as long as it 
suits you ; I can wait while you rest.” 

Then he turned his hack on them and said to the young 
wom-an, “ They’ll soon be gone, just wait.” 

And they were soon gone, for when they saw Jer-ry’s 
dodge, they got out, called him all sorts of bad names, then 
walked off. 

We were soon on our way, and when we reached the 
place Jer-ry helped the young woman out. 

“ From my heart, I thank you,” she said. 

Just as we turned to leave some one at the door called 
out “ Cab ! ” 

A lady, whom Jer-ry seemed to know, came down the 
steps. She put back her veil and said, “ Jer-ry, I am glad 
to find you here. It is hard to get a cab to-day.” 

“ I shall be glad to serve you, ma’am. Where may I 
take you, ma’am ? ” 

“ To the train,” she said. 

We were at the place in good time, and she had a long 
talk with Jer-ry. 

I found that at one time Pol-ly had served her as maid. 

“ How do you find the cab work suits you when it is 
cold ? ” she asked. “ I know Pol-ly thought it was bad for 
you last year.” 

“ Yes, ma’am, she did. I had a bad cough that stuck 
to me quite in to spring. You see, ma’am, it’s all days and 
all hours, and that does try a man’s health.” 

“ Well, Jer-ry, it would be a sad thing that you should 


92 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


risk your health in this work, and if the time should come 
when you think you ought to give it up, let me know.” 

Then she put some-thing in his hand and said, “ Pol-ly 
will know how to spend it.” 

Jer-ry thanked her and seemed much pleased. 


JERRY’S NEW YEAR. 


93 



CHAPTER XXX. 

JER-RY’S NEW YEAR. 

For some folks, Christ-mas and the New Year are full 
of good cheer, but for cab-men and their hors-es it means 
much hard work. 

We had a good deal of night work in the week, and 
Jer-ry’s cough was bad ; but come as late as we might, 
Pol-ly sat up for him and came out with a light to meet 
him. 

On the night of the New Year we had to take two men 
to a house in one of the West End Squares. We set them 
down at nine o’clock and were told to come back in two 
hours. 

As the clock struck the hour, we were at the door, for 
jer-ry was prompt. 

We wait-ed an hour, but they did not come. 

The wind was cold, with squalls of rain, which now 
changed to a sharp sleet. Jer-ry got off his box and pulled 
one of my cloths up more on my neck ; then he took a turn 
or two up and down ; then he beat his arms, but that made 
him cough, so he sat down in the cab door and wait-ed. 


94 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


At the end of two hours, the men came out and told 
Jer-ry where to drive, which was two miles off. My legs 
were numb with cold, and I thought I should fall. 

When we got home, Jer-ry was so hoarse it was hard 
for him to speak, and his cough was much worse. 

Pol-ly met him with the light. 

a What can I do to help you ?” she asked. 

“ You may get Jack a warm mash, and then boil me 
some broth.” 

By this time his breath came hard, but he rubbed me 
down ; then went up to the hay loft to get more straw for 
my bed. Pol-ly brought my warm mash, then they locked 
the door. 

Late the next day, Hal came to feed us, and sw r eep out 
the stalls. When he came back at noon, Dol-ly came with 
him, and I saw that her eyes were full of tears. 

I learned from what they said that Jer-ry was quite 
ill. So two days passed and we saw no one but Hal and 
Dol-ly. 

On the third day, while Hal was in the stall, Gray 
Grant came in. 

“ I wouldn’t go to the house, my boy, but I want to 
know how Jer-ry is,” he said. 

“ He can’t be much worse than he is,” said Hal. 

“ That’s bad, quite bad,” said Grant, with a shake of his 
head, “ but while there’s life there’s hope ; so keep a good 
heart, my boy.” 

“ Yes,” Hal spoke up, “ they say, as he does not drink, 


JERRY’S NEW YEAR. 


95 


there is a good chance that he may get well. Don’t you 
think he will, Mr. Grant ? ” 

“ If there’s a rule that good men should live through 
these things, I’m sure Jer-ry will,” said Grant, “ for lie’s the 
best man I know.” 

Next day Grant came back. 

“ Well,” said he, “ how is Jer-ry?” 

“ He is not so bad to-day, and we now hope he will get 
well.” 

“ Thank God ! ” said Grant, “now you must keep him 
warm and keep his mind at ease, and that brings me to the 
hors-es. Jack will be none the worse for the rest of a week 
or two ; but this young horse, if he does not get work, will 
soon be too much for you.” 

“ It is like that now,” said Hal. “ He’s so full of life I 
don’t know what to do with him.” 

“ Just so,” said Grant, “ Now look here, will you tell 
your moth-er, if it please her, I will take him out each day 
and give him a good spell of work, and I’ll bring her half 
that he earns. That will help with the hors-es’ feed.” 

At noon I think he saw Pol-ly, for he came to the stall 
and took out the young horse. This he did for a week or 
more. 

At last, it looked as if Jer-ry would get well, but the 
doc-tor said he must not go back to the cab work if he 
wished to live long. So Pol-ly wrote to Mrs. Fow-ler, her 
old mis-tress, who had told Jer-ry if he gave up the cab 
work she would like to know it, 


96 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


One day Dol-ly ran to where Hal was at work in the 
stall. Her face was flushed and her dark eyes spark-led 
with joy. 

“ Oh ! Hal, 1 ’ she said, “ I have such good news ! Mrs. 
Fow-ler writes we are all to go and live near her. There is 
a neat house that will just suit us, with large grounds, 
fruit trees, a hen-house and all. Her old coach-man is soon 
to leave and she wants fath-er to take his place. Isn't it 
fine ? ” 

So I found out they would go to the new place as soon 
as Jer-ry could stand the move, and the cab and hors-es were 
to be sold. 

This was sad news to me, for since I left my old home 
I had not been so well treat-ed as with my dear mas-ter, 
Jer-ry. 

The day came for us to go. Jer-ry had not yet been out 
and I had not seen him since that cold New Year’s eve. 
Pol-ly came to bid me good-by. “ Poor old Jack ! dear old 
Jack ! I wish we could take you with us,” she said, then 
laid her hands on my mane, put her face close to my neck 
and kissed me. Dol-ly cried and kissed me too. Hal 
seemed sad and stroked me a long time, but did not speak, 
and so I was led off to my new place. 


JAKES AND THE LADY. 


97 



CHAPTER XXXI. 


JAKES AND THE LA-DY. 

I was sold to a man whom Jer-ry knew, and with 
whom he thought I should have good food and fair work. 
In the first he was quite right, and if my mas-ter had 
known it, I do not think I should have been worked so 
hard, but there was one man who had his own way, and 
some-times when I had quite a full load he would have still 
more piled on the cart. Then, too, Jakes, who drove me, 
would have the check rein up, which in a few months told 
on my strength. 

One day we start-ed out with a great load and part of 
our road was up a steep hill. I used all my strength, but I 
could not get on and had to stop. 

This made Jakes mad and he laid on his whip. 

“ Get on, you slow beast,” he said, “ or I’ll make you.” 

I moved on a few yards and stopped. The whip came 
down, but though I pulled with all my might, I could move 
but a few steps at a time. The pain of that great cart whip 
was sharp, but my mind was hurt quite as much as my 
poor sides. To be thrashed like that while I did my best, 
took all the heart out of me. 


98 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


As Jakes raised his whip a third time, a la-dy stepped 
up to him and said in a sweet voice — 

“Oh ! pray do not whip your good horse like that. I 
am sure he will do his best.” 

“ If his best won’t get this load up, he must do more 
than his best, that’s all I know, ma’am,” said Jakes. 

“ But, is not the load too great for him ? ” she asked. 

“ Yes, yes, but that’s not my fault, and I must get on 
with it as well as I can.” 

Once more he raised the whip, when the la-dy said : 

“ Pray, stop ; I can help you if you will let me.” 

Jakes laughed. 

“ You see,” she said, “ you do not give him a fair 
chance ; he can’t use all his strength with his head held 
back with that check rein. If you will take it off, he can 
move the load — do try it.” 

“Well, well,” said Jakes, with a short laugh, “ I’ll do it 
to please you, ma'am. How far would you wish it down, 
ma’am ? ” 

“ Quite down, give him his head, free.” 

He took the rein off, and at once I put my head down 
to my knees. How good it felt ! Then I tossed it up and 
. down two or three times to get the ache out of my neck. 

“ Poor horse ! that is what you want-ed,” she said, as 
she stroked me with her soft hand ; “ now if you will speak 
a kind word to him and lead him on he will go.” 

Jake took the reins. “ Come on, Black-ie.” I put 
down my head and put forth my whole strength ; the load 


JAKES AND THE LADY. 


99 


moved and I pulled it up the hill, then stopped to take 
breath. 

The la-dy now came up with us. 

u You see how well he did when you gave him a 
chance, 1 ’ she said. “ You won’t put that check rein on, 
will you ? ” 

“ Well, ma’am, I must say that to have his head down 
helped him up the hill, and I’ll try it next time, and thank 
you, ma’am.” 

I am glad to say Jakes kept his word ; but the great 
loads went on. 

Good feed and fair rest will keep up one’s strength with 
full work, but no horse can stand to be load-ed with more 
than he can pull. In a few months, I was so run down 
from this cause, that I was sold to give place to a young 
horse. 


100 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



HARD TIMES. 

My new mas-ter had black eyes and a hooked nose. 
His mouth was as full of teeth as a bull-dog s and his voice 
was as harsh as the noise of cart wheels on rough stones. 

He had a low set of cabs, and a low set of men to drive 
them. He was hard on the men and they were hard on 
the hors-es. 

My life was now so wretch-ed that I wished I might 
drop down dead at my work, and thus be out of pain. One 
day I thought my wish had come to pass. 

I had been on the stand since eight and had done a 
good share of the work, when he had to take a man to the 
train. As we turned to leave, we were called by a loud 
voiced man who had with him a la-dy, a small boy and a 
young girl, and three or four large trunks. 

The la-dy and the boy got in the cab, but the girl came 
round and looked at me. 

“ Pa-pa,” she said, “ I am sure this poor horse can not 
take us and all our trunks so far, he is so weak and worn 
PUt/’ 



Late that day they took me to my own stall — 
I was not sick ? but oyer- worked. Page 101. 

^ Black Beauty 




HARD TIMES. 


101 


“ Oh ! he’s all right, miss,” said the man who drove me, 
“ he can take you all.” 

“ Can your horse do it, or can’t he ? ” asked the loud 
voiced man. 

“ Oh ! he can do it all right, sir ; send up the trunks. 
He could take more than that.” So the trunks were 
piled on. 

The load was too much for me, but I did my best, in 
spite of pain and wrongs. 

I got on in some way, un-til we got to a steep hill. I 
tried to keep on, goad-ed by chucks of the reins and use of 
the whip, but all at once— I can not tell how — my feet 
slipped and I fell with great force. I lay still, for I could 
not move, and I thought now my time to die had come. I 
thought I heard that sweet voice say, “ Oh ! that poor 
horse ! it is all our fault.” 

Some one said : “ He’s dead. He can’t get up.” 

I know not how long I lay there and gasped for breath, 
but at last my life came back. A drink of some kind was 
poured down my throat and a cloth thrown on me. At last, 
I got up and was led to a stall near by. Here they brought 
me some warm broth which did me much good. 

Late that day, they took me to my own stall. The 
next day my mas-ter brought the horse doc-tor to see me. 

“ This horse is not sick,” the doc-tor said, “it is a case 
of too much hard work. If you could give him a run-off of 
six months, he could do more work, but now there is not an 
ounce of strength in him.” 


102 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“ Then he must just go to the dogs,” said my mas-ter. 
“ I have no place to nurse a sick horse. My plan is to work 
’em as long as they’ll go, then sell ’em for what they'll 
bring.” 

“ There is a sale of hors-es to come off in ten days,” said 
the doc-tor. “ If you give him rest and good feed he may 
pick up, and you can, no doubt, get a fair price for him.” 

So my mas-ter told the men I was to be well fed and 
cared for, which they did with a right good will. 

Ten days of rest, with all the oats and hay I want-ed, 
brought me out so much that I thought it might be as well 
to live as to go to the dogs. 

When the tenth day came, they took me to the sale a 
few miles out of Lon-don. I was so glad of a change that 
I held up my head and hoped for the best. 


MR. GOOD AND WILLIE. 


103 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 


MR. GOOD AND WIL-LIE. 

At this sale, of course, I was placed with the worn-out 
hors-es — some lame, some old, and some I am sure it would 
have been best to shoot. 

The men that came to buy them looked as bad as the 
poor beasts. Still there were some that I would have been 
glad to serve ; poor and old, but kind and with a voice that 
I could trust. 

A man who looked like a farm-er, with a boy by his 
side, came up. He had a kind face and wore a hat with a 
broad brim. I saw his eyes rest on me ; I still had a good 
mane and tail, which helped my looks. I pricked my ears 
and looked at him. 

“ There’s a horse, Wil-lie,” said he, “ that was not built 
for a cab horse. He was a fine horse in his young days.” 
He gave me a kind pat on the neck. I put out my nose to 
show him I liked it, and the boy stroked my face. 

“ Poor old horse ! can’t you buy him, grand-pa, and 
make him young like he used to be ? ” 

“ My dear boy, I can’t make all old hors-es young.” 


104 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“ Well, I don’t think this one is old. Look at his mane 
and tail. If yon would look in his .month you could tell. 
Though he is so thin, his eyes are not sunk like some old 
hors-es.” 

The old man laughed. “ Bless the boy ! he talks horse 
like his old grand-pa.” 

The man who had brought me for sale now put in his 
word. 

“ The young man is a smart one, sir. The fact is, this 
’ere hoss is just pulled down with hard work. He’s not an 
old one, and I heard as how the hoss doc-tor should say that 
a six months’ run-off would set him right up. ’Twould be 
worth a man’s while to give five pounds for him and let 
him have a chance. I’ll be hound he’d be worth four fives 
next spring.” 

The farm-er felt my legs, which were much swelled and 
strained, then looked at my mouth. 

“ He’s not so old as he looks,” he said. “ Just trot him 
out, will you ? ” 

I arched my poor thin neck and tried to look my best. 

“ What is the least you will take for him ? ” asked the 
farm-er as I came back. 

“ Five pounds, sir.” 

“ ’Tis a risk,” said the old man, with a shake of his 
head, but at the same time he took out his purse, “ quite a 
risk ! ” 

He paid the five pounds and asked the man to take me 
to the inn. Here I had a good feed, then one of my new 



I arched my neck and tried to look my best 
Pagrg 104# Black Beauty 




MR. GOOD AND WILLIE. 


105 


mas-ter’s hired men rode me home and turned me in a large 
field of grass. 

Mr. Good, for that was the old man’s name, said to 
Wil-lie, “ You must take the care of him ; I give him in 
charge to you.” 

The boy was proud of his charge. There was not a 
day when he did not come to see me. He brought good 
things to eat, or stood by me and talked while I ate my 
oats, and, of course, I grew right fond of him. 

Now and then he brought his grand-pa with him, who 
was sure to look at my legs first. 

“ This is his weak point, my boy,” he would say, “ but 
he has come out so much that I think we shall see quite a 
change by spring.” 

The full re >t, the good food, the soft turf, made such a 
change in me, that by the time the spring came round, I 
felt quite young once more. 

One day in March, Mr. Good tried me in the light gig, 
and he and Wil-lie drove me a few miles. My legs were 
not stiff now, and I did the work with ease. 

“We must give him some light work, now, Wil-lie, and 
by June he will be like a young horse.” 

“ Oh ! grand-pa, how glad I am that you bought him.” 

“ So am I, my boy, but he has to thank you more than 
me. We must now try to find a place for him, where he 
will be well cared for.” 


106 


BLACK BEAUTY. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 


MY LAST HOME. 

One day in June, the groom cleaned and dressed me 
with such fine care, that I thought some new change must 
he at hand. 

Wil-lie seemed half glad, half sad, as he took his seat in 
the chaise with his grand-pa. 

“ If they take to him,” said the old man, “ they’ll be 
suit-ed and he’ll be suit-ed. We can but try.” 

At a mile or two from the town we came to a house 
with a lawn at the front, and a drive up to the door. 

Wil-lie stayed with me, while Mr. Good went in the 
house. When he came out there were two la-dies with 
him — one, tall and pale, leaned on the arm of a young la-dy, 
with dark eyes and a bright face. They looked at me and 
talked a good while. 

The young la-dy, that was Miss Nell, took to me at 
once; she was sure she would like me, I had such a good 
face, she said. 

The pale la-dy said she should fear to drive a horse that 


MY LAST HOME 


107 


had once been down, and if I should fall the fright would 
be her death. 

“ You see,” said Mr. Good, “ some first-rate hors-es have 
had their knees hurt through no fault of their own, and 
from what I see of this horse, I should say that is his case. 
If you wish, you can try him for a few days, and then your 
groom will see what he thinks of him.” 

“ You know so much of hors-es,” said the tall la-dy, 
“ that what you say will go a long way with us. We will 
take him for a few days, and thank you.” 

Next day a young man came for me. At first he 
looked pleased ; but when he saw my knees he said : 

“ I didn’t think, sir, you would have my la-dies buy 
such a horse as that.” 

“ You are asked but to try him, and I am sure you will 
do right by him, young man. If he is not safe, send him 
back.” 

I was led to my new home, placed in a good stall, fed 
and locked up. The next day while the groom cleaned my 
face, he said : 

“ That is just like the star that Black Beau-ty had, he 
is much the same height too. I would like to know where 
he is now.” 

Soon he came to the place in my neck where I was 
bled, and where a small knot was left in the skin. He 
start-ed, then looked at me from head to foot. 

“ White star on the face,” he said, “ one white foot on 
the off side, this knot just in that place ; ” then with a look 


108 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


at my back — u and bless me ! there’s that patch of white 
hair that John used to call ‘ Beau-ty’s three pence bit.’ It 
must be Black Beau-ty ! Why Beau-ty ! Beau-ty ! do you 
know me? — Joe Green, that all but killed yon once ? ” Then 
he pat-ted, and pat-ted me, as if he were too full of joy to 
speak. 

I could not say that I would have known him, for now 
he was a fine grown young man, with black beard and a 
man’s voice, but I was sure he knew me, and that he was 
Joe Green. I put my nose to his face and tried to say how 
glad I was. I nev-er saw a man so pleased. 

“ Give you a fair chance ! I should think so ! I would 
like to know who the wretch was that broke your knees, 
my old Beau-ty ! You must have had hard times some- 
where. I wish John was here to see you.” 

Late in the day I was put to a low park chair and 
brought to the door for Miss Nell, who wished to try me. 
Joe went with her, and I heard him tell her what he knew 
of my past, and that he was sure I was Squire Gor-don’s 
old “ Black Beau-ty.” 

When we came back the tall la-dy came out to hear 
what she thought of me. Miss Nell was well pleased, and 
told her what she had just heard, then said : 

“ I shall write to Mrs. Gor-don and tell her that her pet 
horse has come to us. How pleased she will be ! ” 

I have now lived in this good place a whole year. Joe 
is the best of grooms. My work is light, and my strength 


MY LAST HOME. 


109 


and life have come back to me. Mr. Good said to Joe one 
day last week : 

“In your place, with you to give him such fine care, he 
will last ten years — may-be more.” 

Wil-lie speaks to me when he can, and treats me as his 
dear friend. 

My la-dies have said that I shall not be sold, and so I 
have no fears, and here my tale ends. 

My cares are all passed, and at times I dream that I 
stand ’neath the big trees, and talk with my dear old friends 
in the field at Birt-wick. 


THE END. 



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